BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Harvard Business Review Press is pleased to announce the publication of Collision Course: Carlos Ghosn and the Culture Wars That Upended an Auto Empire. Available in stores on June 22nd, the book chronicles the rise, fall, and stunning escape of the jet-setting CEO who saved Nissan and made it part of a global automotive empire.
Veteran Tokyo-based journalists Hans Greimel and William Sposato go behind the scenes revealing why the alliance between Renault and Nissan was a challenge to manage. They explain how economics, history, national interest, legal tradition, and hubris converged, and why some of Ghosn’s cohorts fell along with him, while others, who seemingly had a hand in the alleged crimes, walk free today. They also equip readers to judge for themselves whether Ghosn is a fraudster evading justice, as Japanese prosecutors claim; a victim of a system that set him up to fall; or whether the answer lies somewhere in between.
Timed with the book’s release, Harvard Business Review has produced a podcast miniseries called “The Rise and Fall of Carlos Ghosn.” It tells Ghosn’s story through original reporting, management analysis, and insider accounts – and includes an exclusive interview with Ghosn himself. Hosted by HBR’s Curt Nickisch, the podcast explores Ghosn's successes and failures, insights on the nature of people, corporations, and management—and answers the ever-evolving question: How did Carlos Ghosn go from being one of the world's most visionary CEOs to a fugitive from justice?
Brazilian-born with Lebanese roots, Ghosn first rose to prominence at the French automaker Renault, where his methodical attention to detail, cost, efficiency, and profits made him the perfect man for the job of fixing a then near-bankrupt Nissan, which Renault had rescued with a $5.1 billion bailout. His success in building a colossal partnership between Nissan and Renault made him a cult hero in Japan and a globally recognized legend in the business world.
In late 2018, Ghosn found himself arrested and eventually jailed for 130 days by the Japanese justice system. He was accused of hiding more than $80 million in deferred compensation and diverting millions more of company money for private use. On December 29, 2019, he stunned the world with a Hollywood-style escape with the help of a former US Army Special Forces operative.
COLLISION COURSE is a gripping narrative that serves as part cautionary tale, part object lesson, and part forewarning of the increasing complexity of doing global business in a nationalistic world. According to Bob Lutz, former Vice Chairman, General Motors, “This book is brilliantly conceived and written. Although factual, it reads like a fast-paced spy novel. The authors have created a dispassionate narrative that will be of lasting value not only to business professionals but also to those devoted to the study of the human sciences.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Hans Greimel is an award-winning American business journalist based in Tokyo, where he serves as Asia Editor for Automotive News, overseeing coverage from Japan, China, and South Korea. He has been writing about Nissan and the alliance for more than a decade and has interviewed Carlos Ghosn multiple times, including a one-on-one interview after Ghosn's arrest.
William Sposato is a Tokyo-based correspondent and consultant active in Japan for more than twenty years, with senior roles at Reuters and the Wall Street Journal.
ABOUT HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
Harvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, 10 international licensed editions, books from Harvard Business Review Press, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review provides professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact.