Nissan has narrowed candidates for its CEO to three Renault-Nissan veterans, with Renault's chairman conducting interviews, people familiar with the matter said.
Renault chairman Jean-Dominique Senard spoke on Tuesday with the candidates in person in Paris or via TV conference, the people said.
Senard sits on the Nissan board's nominating committee, a post he received in June after a battle with Nissan executives.
Two of the candidates are Japanese company veterans -- Nissan’s acting CEO Yasuhiro Yamauchi and former Nissan China chief Jun Seki.
They are seen as the frontrunners, the sources said. But Nissan’s board and Renault have kept up dialogue with Indian-born Ashwani Gupta, a possible external candidate.
Gupta, 49, joined Renault in 2006 in India as a purchasing manager, and was sent this year to Nissan’s alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp as chief operating officer. Gupta was interviewed by Senard on Tuesday via TV conference, the sources said.