Infiniti CEO leaves after just two years
07-11-14, 07:37 AM
#16
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DETROIT -- General Motors plans to hire Johan de Nysschen, the former U.S. Audi boss who is leaving Nissan’s Infiniti, to lead global Cadillac sales, two people familiar with GM’s plans said.
The announcement may come as soon as today, the sources said.
De Nysschen would fill the post vacated yesterday by Bob Ferguson, who’s returning to his previous position as the automaker’s top government lobbyist, effective immediately.
Since mid-March, Ferguson has been spending most of his time in Washington, helping steer GM’s response to its ignition switch recall.
Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell declined to comment.
The appointment of De Nysschen would begin to fill a leadership void at GM’s luxury brand. While Ferguson has been focused on the recall crisis, U.S. Cadillac boss Bill Peffer departed abruptly last month after less than 10 months in the job. He was the third head of Cadillac sales to leave in two years.
U.S. Cadillac sales have dropped 2 percent this year in a market that has gained 4 percent. Last year, Cadillac recorded a 22 percent increase.
De Nysschen, 54, is leaving Infiniti two years after joining the brand’s new global headquarters in Hong Kong. He submitted his resignation earlier this week, Nissan Motor Corp. Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said in an interview earlier Friday from Japan.
De Nysschen cited personal reasons for leaving, but also has found another employer, Palmer said.
In deciding to leave Infiniti, Nissan’s Palmer said de Nysschen "cited ... a strong desire to go back to the United States for personal reasons,” and noted that his home and family are still in the United States.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn recruited de Nysschen for his record as president of Audi of America.
Over his tenure there, Audi’s share of the U.S. luxury market climbed to 9.5 percent in 2011 from 5.3 percent in 2004.
Nissan is considering internal and external candidates to replace de Nysschen, Palmer said. In the interim, Palmer will assume de Nysschen’s duties as president of Infiniti.
http://www.autonews.com/article/2014...it-sources-say
The announcement may come as soon as today, the sources said.
De Nysschen would fill the post vacated yesterday by Bob Ferguson, who’s returning to his previous position as the automaker’s top government lobbyist, effective immediately.
Since mid-March, Ferguson has been spending most of his time in Washington, helping steer GM’s response to its ignition switch recall.
Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell declined to comment.
The appointment of De Nysschen would begin to fill a leadership void at GM’s luxury brand. While Ferguson has been focused on the recall crisis, U.S. Cadillac boss Bill Peffer departed abruptly last month after less than 10 months in the job. He was the third head of Cadillac sales to leave in two years.
U.S. Cadillac sales have dropped 2 percent this year in a market that has gained 4 percent. Last year, Cadillac recorded a 22 percent increase.
De Nysschen, 54, is leaving Infiniti two years after joining the brand’s new global headquarters in Hong Kong. He submitted his resignation earlier this week, Nissan Motor Corp. Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said in an interview earlier Friday from Japan.
De Nysschen cited personal reasons for leaving, but also has found another employer, Palmer said.
In deciding to leave Infiniti, Nissan’s Palmer said de Nysschen "cited ... a strong desire to go back to the United States for personal reasons,” and noted that his home and family are still in the United States.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn recruited de Nysschen for his record as president of Audi of America.
Over his tenure there, Audi’s share of the U.S. luxury market climbed to 9.5 percent in 2011 from 5.3 percent in 2004.
Nissan is considering internal and external candidates to replace de Nysschen, Palmer said. In the interim, Palmer will assume de Nysschen’s duties as president of Infiniti.
http://www.autonews.com/article/2014...it-sources-say
07-11-14, 10:03 AM
#19
And it just gets worse. De Nysschen is way too impulsive. If Infiniti cannot commit to being consistent, things can and will go south very quickly. This same individual that came in and axed/delayed a number of development programs (V37 Q60 coupe, new S52 FX/QX70), now jumps ship. Well at least it keeps him closer to his family, as that is what matters at the end of the day.
07-11-14, 01:45 PM
#20
Infiniti is a mess right now. The Q renaming was one of the stupidest decisions I've seen in the auto industry. They scratched and clawed their way back from near death in the early 2000's with the G, FX and M only to squander it with the Q crap, weird *** goofy designs, and some kind of luxury-tech focus to replace sportiness and good driving dynamics.
I don't know how much I can blame De Nysschen for everything but Infiniti needs to right their ship quickly.
I don't know how much I can blame De Nysschen for everything but Infiniti needs to right their ship quickly.
07-11-14, 03:27 PM
#22
Mr. Q has left the building. This was a wrong idea right from the get go. You can tell the green CEO by some screamingly visible irrelevant decisions that make no impact whatsoever like renaming the model lineup for instance. You rename your model lineup once you have a stellar products, all of them. Then you can consider a "brand reboot". But he even accomplished to fail at his own renaming game by having models wear defunct Q badge instead of super popular and most successful badge to date G.
Its easier to say than to get it done and no one here really knows what was going on behind the closed doors of Renault. Maybe he didn't even want to rename the line up, maybe he wanted to name them all Gs, maybe he expected more independence from mister egomaniac himself Ghosn, maybe he pushed for a completely different product but he was outnumbered. Or simply he was just fired for not knowing what the hell he was doing.
Its easier to say than to get it done and no one here really knows what was going on behind the closed doors of Renault. Maybe he didn't even want to rename the line up, maybe he wanted to name them all Gs, maybe he expected more independence from mister egomaniac himself Ghosn, maybe he pushed for a completely different product but he was outnumbered. Or simply he was just fired for not knowing what the hell he was doing.
07-11-14, 05:40 PM
#26
Lexus Fanatic
We don't know for a fact that it was the compelling reason. Some if it might just be private between him and Ghosn.
King Henry II, for example, over at Ford, often fired people for no more reason that he just didn't like them and didn't want to be around them any longer.
If you haven't read Lee Iacocca's book, I highly recommend it. It's been in my automotive library for years.
Last edited by mmarshall; 07-11-14 at 05:45 PM.
07-11-14, 08:01 PM
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This is obviously not good news for Infiniti. I can't understand how you can come in, completely overhaul everything, make clear, direct plans on future products, then jump ship to Cadillac. It doesn't make sense on the surface. Unless of course his hands were tied over major decisions being made over there. They hired him to do a very specific job and if he was being overruled over major decisions that he felt were critical to the brand, I can see why he would not want to do a half-assed job with it, as the results would be a reflection on his performance. Combine that with probably a great offer from Cadillac (an established brand that is doing better than Infiniti), him being able to be closer to his family, etc, and I guess it's a no-brainer why he left.
Sounds like you have some inside info there and it really doesn't surprise me in the least. The fact that a re-badged Juke is being produced for the Chinese market tells me that he was somewhat being controlled over product decisions being made by others within Nissan. That choice does not seem like it was his, taking his past record and previous statements into account over the direction he wanted to take Infiniti.
So where does this leave them now? The statement "we'll be fine" by Matthew Davis is not very convincing. What's going to happen to the Eau Rogue concept? The (2) upcoming flagships? Johan was responsible for making all these decisions. They better hire someone good with a vision for the brand and fast.
So where does this leave them now? The statement "we'll be fine" by Matthew Davis is not very convincing. What's going to happen to the Eau Rogue concept? The (2) upcoming flagships? Johan was responsible for making all these decisions. They better hire someone good with a vision for the brand and fast.