Nissan Motorsports today welcomed Takao Katagiri to NISMO, as he takes up the position of president and CEO. The company also introduced Michael Carcamo on his new position as the programme director.
Takao Katagiri will concurrently serve as the President and CEO of Autech Japan, Inc., and the head of NISMO business office of Nissan Motor Co. roles he has taken over from Shoichi Miyatani, who retired at the end of last month.
Katagiri, who was formerly executive vice president, Chairman of management committee Japan, Asia, and Oceania region of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., brings over thirty three years of Nissan experience to the role.
Michael Carcamo, who was most recently programme director for Nissan’s LM P1 programme, now takes up the position of Global Motorsport Director of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. as well as program director at NISMO.
Carcamo has been with Nissan for 13 years. Before joining the global motorsport team, he held the position of director of vehicle program management and assistant chief vehicle engineer in Mexico.
Mike Carcamo Q&A:
Q: We’re the only manufacturer in the world with factory-backed programmes in Japan, Europe, US and Australia. How important is that global outlook to the brand?
MC: “The ability to run successful programs around the world is derived from some of the same philosophy of the entire brand. We’re a global organization with the best resources and capabilities that aim to meet the customer needs. Our global vehicle development programmes allow us to capture the best of the best ideas for all our projects.
“It’s massively important for us to be able to demonstrate that capability around the world. You have to remember, each of the championships is different. They all have their own unique challenges, they’re run on different types of circuits with different formats and therefore we’re constantly adapting to secure the competitiveness in those particular series.
“It really is an asset to be able to compete at any given time any where around the world.”
Q: Why is motorsports so important for Nissan and NISMO?
MC: “Motorsports can probably be best defined as the ultimate expression of building and maintaining teamwork. In motorsports you can push beyond the ordinary into the unknown.
“Does that always work out? Sometimes no. But if you cannot learn from mistakes then you can’t innovate either.
“Another aspect is the people themselves. Every person in motorsports grows. It doesn’t really matter which function you’re talking about. We talk about engineers in motorsports but really, every job within the organization is pushed to its limit and that really is what makes a great team.
“Motorsports enhances that in a way that nothing else can. You live a very different experience when you have to compete on a week-in week-out basis. Nissan and NISMO has a long and rich history in racing. We’ve had a lot of success with different types of motor racing which helps our company grow.
“I think motorsports is part of our DNA and something we continue because it’s what we do, it’s how we best express ourselves.”
