Nissan’s operations chief Gupta is leaving the board, according to the company.

Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta to Step Down from Board

What You Need to Know:

• Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer, Ashwani Gupta, will not be reappointed to the board when his term expires next month.
• Gupta joined Nissan’s leadership team in 2019 to help the company recover from a period of turmoil.
• Allies of Gupta had hoped he would be promoted to co-CEO, but the promotion did not happen.
• It is unclear whether Gupta will remain in his role as COO.
• Nissan and Renault agreed in January to remake their alliance, with Renault reducing its stake in Nissan to put them on equal footing.

This news casts doubt on the future of Gupta, who had been seen as a potential CEO candidate. Gupta joined Nissan’s leadership team in late 2019, when the company was looking to recover from a period of turmoil triggered by the arrest and sacking of long-time leader Carlos Ghosn. Allies of Gupta had hoped he would be promoted to co-CEO, but the promotion did not materialize.

It is unclear whether Gupta will remain in his role as COO. Nissan and Renault agreed in January to remake their two-decade-old alliance, with Renault reducing its stake in Nissan to put them on equal footing. On Thursday, Nissan forecast a better than expected 38% rise in profit this year on stronger sales.