Tributes paid after death of former Nissan executive

TRIBUTES have been paid to Sir Ian Gibson, a key Nissan executive in the early years of its Sunderland operation who went on to have leadership roles at some of the country’s largest businesses.

- GRAEME WHITFIELD

Sir Ian, who has died at the age of 78, joined Nissan in 1984, having worked previously in the automotive industry for Ford. He was a key figure in establishing the firm's Japanese workplace culture into its UK operations, and became the first non-Japanese board member at Nissan.

In his later business career he would become chair of Trinity Mirror, now Reach plc, the publisher of The Journal and the Chronicle, as well as newspapers including the Mirror, the Manchester Evening News and the Liverpool Echo. He was chairman of supermarket chain Morrisons from 2008 to 2015, deputy chair of Asda and held directorships at companies including Greggs and Northern Rock.

Sir Ian grew up in Manchester and joined Ford after graduating with a degree in applied physics from the city’s university. He worked in industrial relations and manufacturing management for Ford, with spells in the UK, Spain and Germany.