Nissan Motor Co. Ltd has announced Guillaume Cartier as its new Chairperson for the Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO) region.
Effective April 1st, Cartier will lead all Nissan operations in the region, which covers more than 140 markets across four continents with a population of around 3.8 billion people, representing more than 30% of global vehicle sales.
With over 25 years’ experience at Nissan and in the Alliance in global and regional leadership positions, Cartier will lead the new region as the Nissan NEXT transformation plan continues to gather pace and with key models in Europe including Qashqai and Ariya launching soon, and as the brand continues to grow in the AMIO markets, thanks to a powerful vehicle line-up ranging from the iconic Patrol to the recently launched Magnite in India.
Cartier said: “I am thrilled to be leading this culturally rich and diverse region into a period of unprecedented change for the automotive industry, and with a refreshed range of Nissan models and technologies coming to the market.
“A new period of sustainable growth is beginning for Nissan, as we continue to progress the Nissan NEXT transformation plan, accelerating our journey towards a fully electrified line-up in Europe by 2023, and bringing our enhanced product line-up to our growing loyal customer base in Africa, the Middle East, India and Oceania.”
Currently Vice-Chairperson of the AMIEO region and AMI President, Cartier first joined Nissan in 1995 as after-sales manager and went on to hold a number of senior management positions in the Alliance, including AMI Chairperson, head of the Global Datsun Business Unit, Executive Officer and Senior Vice President for Mitsubishi Motors, and Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing in Europe. Cartier will report to vice-chief performance officer and chief quality officer, Christian Vandenhende.
Cartier will replace Gianluca De Ficchy, who served for three years as Chairperson of Nissan Europe and latterly of the expanded AMIEO region. De Ficchy takes on a new senior role within the Alliance which is a subject of a separate release.
De Ficchy said: “I have been proud to lead the region through a challenging period, and I am confident that the company is now in a stronger position and with a solid base for future growth. I would like to thank the full team in AMIEO and wish them every success for the future.”
Cartier will be replaced as AMIEO Region Senior Vice President for Sales & Marketing by Leon Dorssers, also effective from April 1st and reporting to Cartier, covering all AMIEO Region Sales & Marketing functions including Sales, Dealer Network, Product Strategy & Pricing, Brand and Customer Experience.
Currently based at Global Headquarters in Japan as Senior Vice President for Global Sales, Product Marketing and Customer Quality & Dealer Network Development, Dorssers joined Nissan as a graduate trainee in 1992 and has since held multiple sales & marketing functions in country, regional and global leadership positions.
Dorssers said: “The new AMIEO region will enable Nissan to be more competitive across our operations and allow us to deploy the latest technologies consistently and faster to our customers across the region.
“With models like Ariya, Qashqai, Magnite and Kicks, and technologies like e-POWER and ProPILOT, we’ve already given our customers a taste of what’s to come from Nissan, and the coming years will be even more innovative and electrified.”
The senior management team for the AMIEO region also includes:
- Kevin Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice President for Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management
- David Moss, Senior Vice President for R&D
- George Leondis, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance
- François Bailly, Senior Vice President, Chief Planning Officer
- Jordi Vila, Divisional Vice President for Marketing and Sales Operations, Europe
- Joni Paiva, Divisional Vice President for Marketing and Sales Operations, Africa, Middle East, India, and Oceania
AMIEO Region – Facts and Figures
- Geographical scope of Africa, Middle East, India, Europe (including Russia) and Oceania, covering more than 140 markets
- Population of around 3.8 billion people
- 29 million vehicles sold in 2019, representing more than 30% of global vehicle sales
- 820,000 Nissan, Datsun and Infiniti sales in 2019
- Plants in 3 continents
- Key Nissan models include Qashqai, Navara, Patrol and LEAF
SOURCE: Nissan
