New appointments at Nissan Middle East

Nissan has announced key management changes to its leadership in the Middle East region. Juergen Schmitz is appointed as managing director of Nissan Middle East and Markus Leithe has been named as the managing director of Infiniti Middle East. 
Schmitz brings more than 25 years’ experience in the automotive industry to the role. He joins Nissan from Infiniti Middle East, where he led the Nissan subsidiary since 2011 – first as general manager and then as managing director.
Schmitz joined Nissan in 2007 as regional director for Infiniti Central Europe, where he was responsible for sales and marketing, as well as the development of a dealer network covering 10 markets. He had previously gained wide experience with European manufacturers, including Saab and Mercedes Benz.
Schmitz will report to Kalyana Sivagnanam, president of Nissan Middle East and regional vice president of Marketing and Sales for Africa, the Middle East and India.
Sivagnanam commented: “As the region continues to become increasingly important to Nissan, we are focusing on offering vehicles that are tailored to the needs of our customers in these markets and I’m confident that Schmitz’s experience will ensure that we continue to be an important player in the growth of the region’s automotive industry.”
Leithe’s expertise as a managing director in the automotive industry has been built on 20 years of international experience across Europe and the Middle East with roles in sales, marketing, product planning and business planning at headquarters and with national sales companies and importers.
Leithe takes the reins at Infiniti Middle East following his role as the managing director of commercial operations for General Motors.
Schmitz said: “With Nissan’s leading role in the region, there are exciting opportunities for further growth, underpinned by our iconic and best-selling Nissan Patrol, our extensive line-up and our outstanding customer service.”
Leithe said: “Infiniti is on an aggressive expansion strategy in the region as it continues to deliver on its promise of a premium motoring experience to our customers.”