MANILA, Philippines - Nissan has 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).
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, effective Aug. 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 Corp. (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.