India Born Lavanya Wadgaonkar Appointed Corporate VP and Communication Head at Nissan

Nissan has appointed Lavanya Wadgaonkar as corporate vice president and chief communications officer, making her the first Indian to be appointed to head the Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer’s head of global communications.  

In her new role, she will “oversee all of Nissan’s communications activities in Japan and globally as the automaker launches The Arc, its business plan to drive value and strengthen competitiveness,” a company press release said. Based in Japan, she will report to Makoto Uchida, president and CEO of Nissan. 

She has “more than 28 years of experience in strategic communications, public affairs, brand management, marketing and sustainability,” the company said. She previously led and developed the communications and external and government affairs functions for Nissan Asia and Oceania.

In a Jan. 15 interview with the online news portal Adgully, Wadgaonkar detailed the changes in Nissan’s communication strategies for 2024. She emphasized on four key pillars — “strategic excellence, operational excellence with a focus on ground-level communication, talent acquisition, and skill development, especially in the dynamic field of communication.” Talking about “the emerging trends, and the changing landscape of consumer behaviors and communication strategies,” she “highlighted the impact of generative AI, big data, and the need for agile communication, especially post-COVID.”

See Also

Cheers! Indian American Sally ‘Shobana’ Grimes Named CEO of the Maker of Guinness and Johnnie Walker

Before joining Nissan in 2012 in India, she worked at printing company Lexmark, petrochemical conglomerate Reliance, and diversified power management company Eaton, in various leadership roles in communications and marketing. Originally from Hyderabad, she holds a PhD, an M.Phil, and a Masters degree from Osmania University.