Nissan said Tuesday that Ivan Espinosa, its chief planning officer, would take the helm from April 1, ending weeks of speculation over who will succeed Makoto Uchida as leader of the troubled Japanese carmaker.

Nissan’s chief executive Makoto Uchida is stepping down after growing calls for his resignation in the wake of deteriorating financial performance and the collapse of merger talks with rival Honda. The Japanese carmaker’s chief planning officer Ivan Espinosa will take over as chief executive from the start of April and attempt to revive the business,