Renault boss takes leading role at Nissan

Renault has increased its grip on Nissan by appointing a senior executive to head sales and marketing in Europe.

Mario Kanavesi, president of Renault Germany, becomes Nissan European sales and marketing vice-president at the start of next month. The post incorporates the role of Hartmut Kieven, who was responsible for sales until his recent resignation.

The appointment marks the start of a number of changes at Nissan’s central European headquarters, to be confirmed next month. Nissan UK marketing director Neil Burrows is tipped to take a central European role when the company’s headquarters move to Paris later this year.

The move is expected to mark the end of country-by-country ads and the start of pan-European drives such as the recent Almera ad by TBWA GGT Simons Palmer in London.

Nissan is to create a global marketing team – to be based in Japan and headed by another senior Renault executive Jean-Jacques Le Goff.

Renault, which has a 36.8 per cent stake in Nissan, has confirmed Carlos Ghosn as Nissan president.