Stephen Ma: Nissan's Financial Maestro

The Asian automobile industry witnessed consistent growth, particularly in the markets like Thailand and Indonesia. This industry is also dominated by Japanese Original Equipment Manufacturers(OEMs) with a well-established market. With the opportunities, the Asian automobile industry also presents challenges in front of companies like Nissan. The world is going through an economic slowdown, which presents a significant financial crisis for Asian automobile manufacturers. But there is a famous adage, “Crisis brings opportunities,” which proved to be true in the Asian automobile industry, which produced visionary and result-driven financial leaders like Stephen Ma.

In 2019, Nissan appointed Stephen Ma as its Chief Financial Officer(CFO), saying that some veteran officers were stepping down. The reason behind it was to bring forward a new generation in charge of a company struggling to recover from plunging profits and management. Stephen joined Nissan in 1996 and oversees the company’s global financial activities. Since his appointment as CFO, Ma reflects utmost dedication and willingness to step above and gilded his name on the list of 30 famous CFO in Asia(2023).

A 52-year-old Stephen held various positions at organisations in Japan, North America, and China and played a crucial role in managing finances and risk management. Before his role as CFO of Nissan, Ma also served as a global controller of Nissan Motors Co. Ltd. From the beginning, Stephen has had a deep knowledge of global finance, reflected in his work. He successfully managed Nissan’s financials in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa in his regional CFO and controller roles.

Stephen has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business administration from the University Of California, Irvine and a Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California.

Stephen Ma’s career is full of achievement as he acted as a backbone of Nissan’s finance department and emerged as a leader who inspires others. He joined Nissan in 1996, and from that year, Ma oversaw the company’s domestic and global financial activities, bringing the company into a strong position. Today, Nissan is the market leader in the automobile industry, and Stephen’s role can’t be ignored.

June 1996- Accounting Finance(Nissan North America Inc.)
June 2003- General Manager, Finance(Dongfeng Motor Co. Ltd)
April 2006- Senior Manager, Group Financial Management(Nissan Motor Co. Ltd)
April 2008- General Manager, Regional MC Controller(Nissan Motor Co. Ltd)
April 2012- Vice President, CFO(Dongfeng Motor Co. Ltd)
September 2018- Corporate Vice President, Accounting(Nissan Motor Co. Ltd)
December 2019- Executive Officer, CFO(Finance, Tax & Custom)
June 2020- Executive Officer, CFO(Finance, Control, M&A)
July 2023- Executive Officer, CFO(Finance, Operations Performance)

Since starting his career, Stephen has constantly evolved with the company’s needs and proven himself an asset. His work as Corporate Vice president and executive officer earned him recognition in management’s eyes, giving him an opportunity to lead Nissan as CFO.

In his current role, Stephen works collaboratively with other executives and makes major financial decisions for the company. At the time of taking the role of CFO, he had major challenges like increasing Nissan’s profit, managing the team, and keeping the cash flow, which Ma successfully defeated the odds and emerged as the top financial leader.

With his determination and future-thinking process, Stephen also acted as a bridge between Nissan and Dongfeng Motor Co. Ltd, the company’s joint venture partner. After seeing his work, it is right to say that Stephen consistently worked towards Nissan’s financial goal. He also proved why the generational change in Nissan’s management can only be achieved with strategic thinking.

Stephen Ma, CFO of Nissan, is an excellent example of how to turn a crisis into an opportunity. His work as a financial leader is exemplary and inspires young leaders of Asia. Today, Nissan’s strong financial position in the global market is the result of Stephen’s years of hard work, innovative thinking, and making the right financial decisions.