Top Supply Chain Management Changes at Nissan

Effective April 2007, Dan Gaudette, senior v.p. North American manufacturing and supply chain management for Nissan North America (Gardena, Calif.) will retire after a 26-year career at Nissan. Succeeding Gaudette will be Bill Krueger, currently v.p. of manufacturing at the company's factory in Smyrna, Tenn. In his new role, Krueger will oversee all manufacturing and supply chain management functions for Nissan's three factories in the United States (Smyrna; Decherd, Tenn.; and Canton, Miss.) and its two plants in Mexico (Cuernavaca and Aguascalientes).

Gaudette joined Nissan in December 1980 as a financial analyst/controller as part of the original launch team for Smyrna. After holding several manufacturing management positions, he was the project coordinator for the original Altima launch team in 1990. Gaudette was promoted to v.p. of manufacturing for Smyrna in January 1998, to senior v.p. of U.S. manufacturing in April 2000, and to his current position in charge of North American manufacturing in April 2004.

Krueger just joined Nissan in 2005. Prior to that he held various management positions at Toyota manufacturing plants, most recently served as general manager at the Georgetown, Ky. plant. In addition, Krueger held several management roles at GM's Janesville assembly plant and was manufacturing manager at Harley Davidson's Utilimaster Corp.