TOKYO -- Nissan Motor Corp. has poached BMW veteran Roland Krueger to head its leaderless Infiniti luxury unit, lending a touch of German flair to a brand struggling to break out of the second tier.

Krueger, 48, steps into a brand twice stung by recent defections, first by brand President Johan de Nysschen’s departure in July, then by the exit of its chairman, Andy Palmer, last week.

Infiniti’s new German boss will be based at the brand’s global headquarters in Hong Kong and report to Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. Nissan said today the company is still discussing when he will start.

Krueger’s arrival will re-establish leadership at a critical time for Infiniti.

Palmer was overseeing daily operations after de Nysschen left to head General Motors’ Cadillac division. And those duties were then handed to Nissan North America CEO Jose Munoz after Palmer bolted to become CEO of Aston Martin.

“Roland Krueger has a consistent record of high performance in the premium automotive sector,” Ghosn said in a news release. “He brings unique leadership skills that will accelerate Infiniti’s progress in the global premium market.”

Krueger will be president of Infiniti and a senior vice president of parent company Nissan, based in Yokohama, Japan.