MANILA, Philippines - Nissan today announced the appointment of Antonio Zara, currently Managing Director, International Sales of General Motors Korea, as President and Managing Director of Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI), effective August 1, 2014.*
Zara, a Filipino national, brings extensive automotive experience in sales, service, and marketing to NPI, spanning multiple markets across Asia, including Korea, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
With this management change, Kenji Naito, current President and Managing Director of NPI, will be appointed Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Management, Nissan Motor Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. (NMAP) in Bangkok, also effective August 1.
Naito was appointed to his current role in December 2013. Under his leadership, NPI was established as a new joint-venture company with long time partners Universal Motors Corporation (UMC) and Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. (NMPI). He also successfully led the launch of two global sedans in the Philippines - the all-new Altima and the all-new Sylphy.
"I am happy to welcome Antonio as the new President and Managing Director of NPI," said Toru Hasegawa, Corporate Vice President, Asia and Oceania Business, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and concurrently President, Nissan Motor Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. (NMAP). "This is an exciting time for us in the Philippines and I am very happy to have such a seasoned executive join us to grow the business in this dynamic market." Hasegawa continued: "At the same time, I would like to thank Naito for his valuable contribution in establishing the foundation of growth in the Philippines. I look forward to him bringing his vast experience running national sales companies to NMAP and enhancing the Nissan brand across the entire region."
*Zara's official inauguration will be after the Board of Directors Meeting in August.
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.2 million vehicles and generated revenue of 10.5 trillion yen (USD 105 billion) in fiscal 2013. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history with almost 50 percent share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.
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