Audi of America’s President Johan de Nysschen left his post at the German automaker unexpectedly only to end up at Nissan just two days later. Effective July 1, 2012, he will become Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor Company in charge of the Infiniti division.
“We have exciting and ambitious plans for improving the Infiniti brand including introducing new models in all markets where premium customer demand exists,” Andy Palmer, Nissan Motor Company Executive Vice President, said. “Johan is a highly successful global luxury automotive executive and his leadership of Infiniti will be a key factor in realizing the potential of the Infiniti brand,”
With Infiniti revamping its lineup to go up against the German premium automakers like never before seen — the company hopes to boost its sales from 146,000 in 2011 to 500,000 by 2016 — de Nysschen will play a key role. The man’s resume includes a 19-year stint with Audi, as well as some experience with BMW.
De Nysschen will head Infiniti from the brand’s new Hong Kong headquarters and will especially lead its expansion efforts in the Chinese market.
