Nissan names new UK MD and aftersales director

Diana Torres has been appointed as the new managing director of Nissan Motors Great Britian (NMGB) to lead sales and marketing operations in its biggest European market.

Effective from April 1, she will be based at Nissan’s Maple Cross head office in Rickmansworth, near London, and will report to Mayra Gonzáles, divisional vice president marketing and sales Europe.

Torres, who replaces Andrew Humberstone as MD, has been with Nissan for more than 10 years holding global, regional and market positions including leading marketing and sales finance in Nissan North America, chief financial officer of Nissan Mexicana, and more recently as MD of Nissan Importer Business in Latin America.

Previous to Nissan, she has held various positions in the aviation and banking industries, primarily in Europe.

She said: “I am thrilled to be back in the UK where my career with Nissan started 12 years ago.

“I look forward to leading a highly capable team who - together with our valued dealer partners - have delivered fantastic results in recent years.

“We face a period of significant change in the industry and will need to build a culture of collaboration, partnership and innovation to ensure our continued growth and success.

“I look forward to open and transparent communications with our stakeholders and network partners as we look to transform the business, and deliver a new era of design, electrification and connectivity to our customers.”

Humberstone, who became UK MD in 2020, has been named the new MD of Nissan’s Oceania region.

On the appointment of Torres, Leon Dorssers, Nissan senior vice president for sales and marketing in Europe, said: “Her vision, experience, and high-performance track record make her ideally placed to lead one of our most important markets through a period of rapid transformation and shift to electrification.

“She succeeds Andrew Humberstone who has successfully led NMGB through a period of growth, transformation, and strong business performance. I’d like to thank him for driving significant improvements to the quality of service and representation of our UK dealer network, and for his leadership in DEI locally and regionally.”

In a further change in the UK senior management team, Nicolas Belaud moves from Nissan Motors Thailand, where he led the aftersales division, to begin a new challenge in the UK as NMGB aftersales director.

He replaces Chris Marsh, who has been appointed as director, aftersales importers and services repairs for the AMIEO region.

Belaud said: “I’m delighted to be joining the team at Nissan GB at a very exciting time for the automotive industry.

“I look forward to embracing the opportunities presented by the UK market’s transition to electric vehicles, while delivering added value for our network partners and an even greater experience for our customers.”