Many people in Japan think Carlos Ghosn is a superstar.
But Ghosn is not a rock star or a football player; he is the CEO and president of two of the world’s biggest car makers: Renault and Nissan. He is also on the board of Alcoa, Sony and IBM. He is one of the world’s great business leaders.
He was born in Brazil, but his parents are Lebanese. He speaks five languages fluently and he knows some Japanese, too. He travels all the time because he works in Paris and in Tokyo. His schedule is very tight: he attends meetings, visits plants and dealerships, and meets international customers. When he has time, he also goes to car shows. Some people call him ‘7/11’ because he often arrives at the office at 7o’clock in the morning and sometimes finishes at 11 p.m. He gets up early every day and works over 70 hours a week.
But it is not all business for Ghosn. He does not work at weekends. He makes time for his wife, Rita, and their four children. They spend time together and enjoy their hobbies. They live in France, but his elder daughter, Caroline, studies at Standford University.