Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida will step down from his position on April 1, with current Chief Planning Officer Ivan Espinosa set to take up the role. Espinosa will be Nissan's fourth CEO in eight years. The leadership shakeup comes less than a month after Nissan and Honda terminated merger talks.

Nissan Motor Co. named company insider Ivan Espinosa to replace Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida and helm the battered Japanese carmaker as it looks to secure a financial backer and stabilize its floundering business.