While wanting to be on the record as saying he doesn't feel overstretched as the head of both Renault and Nissan, Carlos Ghosn admits the Japanese automaker's recent profit slump is "disappointing." But more importantly, he wants the world to know Nissan is still "extremely profitable."

And yet, some thought he was biting off more than he could chew when it was announced that there would be a change at the top of Nissan's U.S. operations. That wasn't the case he points out, as that had been in the works for some time. Ghosn said it would be much more difficult to run both companies if they didn't share so many elements. The dip in profits was attributed to higher costs and weak domestic sales, and the company thinks everything is just fine.

In fact, just to add a little spice into the conversation, Ghosn mentioned that he is still interested in possibly working with a major U.S. automaker. That plan didn't get very far last year, but having a European, Japanese and American triumverate makes some sense for world economies, if nothing else.

[Source: Forbes]