GM Hires Infiniti Chief to Run its Cadillac Brand
General Motors Co said on Friday it has hired Johan de Nysschen, chief of Nissan Motor Co's Infiniti premium brand, to run its Cadillac division, reported Reuters.
He joins the U.S. automaker on Aug. 1 as president of the luxury brand and executive vice president at GM, after two years at the Japanese carmaker. The automaker said earlier on Friday that his first day would be Sept. 1.
De Nysschen, 54, will report to GM President Dan Ammann, who cited the executive's experience with Volkswagen's Audi luxury brand. "Johan brings to our company vast experience in the development and proper execution of luxury automotive brands," Ammann said in a statement.
De Nysschen said the Cadillac brand has strong recognition and has made progress on improving its product portfolio.
De Nysschen, a South African, has submitted his resignation and will be leaving Nissan this month to go to the United States, Infiniti spokeswoman Karin Zhang said.
Andy Palmer, Nissan's chief planning officer and Infiniti's chairman, will be taking over as president of the premium brand until Nissan finds a successor to de Nysschen, Zhang said.
Automotive News, citing sources, earlier on Friday said GM, the No. 1 U.S. automaker, planned to hire de Nysschen.
De Nysschen, who worked at Audi for 19 years before joining Infiniti in 2012, was leading the brand's efforts to revamp its design to boost sales as it struggled to establish its position in the world's competitive premium market.
He aimed to boost Infiniti sales to half a million cars a year in the next four to five years, nearly triple the 180,000 vehicles it sold in the year ended in March 2014.
More Industry
Autos More Appealing
Consumers gave new cars better scores again this year for design, performance and more as mass-market brands kept gaining on premium lineups, JD Power found in an annual poll.
Read More →
Used EVs Defy Overall Market
While the used-car market saw three months of price declines or stagnation, the used EV segment did the opposite – rising for three straight months.
Read More →
Gone to the Dogs
A Stellantis brand decided to have some fun with one of its SUVs’ design to address growing emphasis on family pets.
Read More →
OEM Poll Sees Industry Evolution
Kerrigan Advisors’ survey of automakers finds that tariffs, technology, network tightening and other factors are poised to reshape auto retail.
Read More →
Luxe N.C. Dealerships Change Hands
A collection of Italian and English brand franchises were handed off to the owner’s friend in the business and include the Carolinas’ only Ferrari retail stores.
Read More →
Exposure Drives Interest in Chinese Cars
At a recent demonstration, consumers had the chance to ride in a Chinese-branded vehicle, a firsthand experience that improved their perceptions and purchase intent.
Read More →
Automotive Consumers Sink Further in Debt
Most financing metrics hit records in the second quarter as more buyers locked themselves into long terms and high monthly payments.
Read More →
Agent Advocate
Rob Mancuso, who comes from a long line of auto dealers, values general agents’ place in the industry and makes a case for them taking an even bigger seat at the table.
Read More →
Driving Under Distraction
Though consumers gave higher marks to new vehicles in JD Power’s most recent initial-quality poll, high-tech interference worsened, pointing to craving for simplicity.
Read More →
Affordable New Cars a Thing of the Past
More than one out of five new vehicles sell for more than $60,000, according to Edmunds. That's up 7% compared to prepandemic 2019.
Read More →