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Change at Nissan: Albaisa to retire; Weaver succeeds
Matthew Weaver will be Nissan's next design director when Alfonso Albaisa retires later this year
Nissan has confirmed that Alfonso Albaisa will retire on 31 December 2026, replaced in turn by British designer Matthew Weaver who has been with the company for 25 years. Albaisa, himself a Nissan lifer after nearly 39 years of service, will relinquish his current role as corporate executive for global design on 1 October but will remain as an advisor through to the end of the year.
Weaver knows the brand inside out and is a strong replacement having worked across the UK and Japan and with brands across the portfolio in Nissan, Infiniti and at one point Datsun. Earlier in his career he worked with Ford and Volkswagen, as well as a three-year stint as principle designer at independent studio Makkina.
But anyone who has spent time with Weaver knows his passion for all things Nissan, holding deep fondness for everything from the Figaro and Micra to the numerous Skyline generations and more recent EV work. Key projects developed under his design leadership include the Juke and Qashqai, as well as the new electric Micra (and its initial concept, revealed on a barge near Nissan's labyrinthine design studio in Paddington, London.)
Weaver has been living and working in Japan since April 2025 when he left Nissan Design Europe to take on the role of senior design director at Global Nissan. He was replaced by Giovanny Arroba, another Nissan 'lifer' who joined the company in 2000. There is a satisfying longevity to many of Nissan's senior design leadership positions that must be applauded.
Weaver is an active member of the car design community and a regular guest — and judge — at the CDN People Awards. He will report directly to Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa who replaced outgoing CEO Makoto Uchida last year.
As for Albaisa, retirement in the conventional sense never seems to stick for most designers. Perhaps some sage advice from recent retiree Bob Boniface is relevant here: "Everyone says when you retire, don’t make any decisions for six months, so that’s my plan."
This year has already seen a few retirement announcements and several coming from General Motors. As well as Boniface above, Sharon Gauci announced her departure in March and left in May (read our exclusive interview here) and likewise with Andrew Smith who retired after 35 years with the company. Both announcements came not long after the retirement of Michael Simcoe in July 2025. Honda stalwart Dave Marek also retired in January this year having joined the company in 1987.
