Hon Hai hires ex-Nissan, Nidec executive Seki for EV business

Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) Taiwan-based manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. said Monday that the company business had recruited former Nissan Motor Co. and Nidec Corp. executive Jun Seki as chief strategy officer for its electric vehicle operations, effective from Feb. 1.

In a statement, the iPhone assembler, known as Foxconn globally, said it would take advantage of Seki's experiences in the Japanese auto industry as well as his knowledge of cross-border supply chains to integrate the company's resources into EV development and penetrate the United States, Asian, and Middle Eastern markets.

Seki will directly report to Hon Hai Chairman Liu Young-way (劉揚偉), according to the company.

Seki resigned from electric motor manufacturer Nidec in September last year, with the company saying he had departed "to take responsibility for the worsening business performance," according to Bloomberg.

Born in 1961, Seki joined Nissan in 1986 and rose through the ranks to become vice chief operating officer at Nissan in 2019.

In addition, Hon Hai said, Seki was instrumental in executing turnaround efforts at Nissan and led its China operations from 2014 to 2018.

"During more than three decades at Nissan, Mr. Seki has been well regarded for his manufacturing expertise and deep experience spanning the Asia-Pacific and North America," Hon Hai said in the statement.

Hon Hai said that during his time as an executive at Nidec from 2020-2022, Seki had broadened the Japanese firm's presence in the electric vehicle industry.

In recent years, Hon Hai has intensified its efforts in electric vehicle development, using a Build-Operate-Localize (BOL) and Contract Design and Manufacturing Service (CDMS) models and teamed up with foreign partners to enhance its production capabilities.

The push into the market is part of Hon Hai's stated "3 plus 3" initiative, referring to three emerging industries -- electric vehicles, robotics, and digital health care -- that utilize artificial intelligence, semiconductor, and communication technology. EVs have become a critical part of the initiative.