After previously leading Audi of America in 2000, he returns to the VW Group.
Johan de Nysschen, the Chief Operating Officer of Volkswagen of America, has been promoted to this new position following a abrupt firing by Cadillac in April 2018.. He starts his new job in October 1st, with a special focus on North America.
De Nysschen stated that he was looking forward to joining a Group leader and a group he knows well. “This is an amazing opportunity to play a significant role in a company this large at such a fascinating moment.”
De Nysschen was a former star executive at Audi. He also led the company’s operations to South Africa and Japan. He was appointed to the Audi of America helm in 2004 and continued there until 2012.
De Nysschen was then appointed CEO of Infiniti, but he only managed the company for two years before moving to Cadillac. However, things didn’t go according to plan at the American luxury brand. De Nysschen was instrumental in moving the headquarters of the automaker to New York City, from Detroit. The division also changed its product names to CT for cars and to XT for crossovers.
Cadillac’s sales declined during his tenure. Deliveries dropped 11 percent in 2015, de Nysschen’s first full-year as boss. Volume also fell 3.8 percent in 2016 compared to 8 percent in 2017. The division’s figures fell by 1.1 percent even though they were not working for the entire year.
Johan will make us smarter, faster, and better. Scott Keogh (CEO of Volkswagen Group of America) said that Johan will speed up our decision-making, and dive into our daily business so we can make this brand matter again,” Scott Keogh stated about the new hire.