FRANKLIN, Tenn. -

Announced Monday, Nissan Americas revealed some changes within its newly formed customer quality and dealer network development (CQ & DND) leadership structure.

The company explained that these appointments are “intended to further strengthen Nissan Americas’ support of the company’s ‘Power 88’ business plan.”
All changes are effective May 1.

First up, Leon Dorssers, currently managing director, Nissan Belgium and Luxembourg, has been named vice president of CQ & DND for the Americas.

The company shared that he will be based in Franklin, Tenn., and will report to Jose Muñoz, senior vice president of sales and marketing for  Latin America and CQ & DND for the Americas.

“He (Dorssers) will also have a dotted line report to Brian Carolin, senior vice president of  Nissan U.S. and Canada, for his North American responsibilities,” the company further shared.

And as for Dorssers new responsibilities, “he will support Muñoz in taking the lead to further enhance the company’s activities around customer quality and dealer network development across the region,” the company noted.

Highlighting his career with Nissan, he joined the company in 1992 and has held various positions across Europe. His Nissan career included assignments in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Madrid and, most recently, Antwerp.

He also has experience in the dealership, serving as managing director of a major Nissan dealership from 2005 to 2007 and the general manager of network development of Nissan Iberia, S.A. from 2007 to 2009. He was also responsible for developing key dealer network initiatives in the Spanish market, the company added.

Moving along, Jon Finkel , current senior manager of Nissan sales and service quality, has been  promoted to director of Infiniti CQ & DND.

In his new role, Finkel will report directly to Dorssers and will maintain a dotted reporting relationship to Ben Poore, vice president of the Infiniti Business Unit.

“Finkel joined Nissan in 1991 and, since then, has held a number of positions of increasing responsibilities,” the OEM shared.

In addition to these two changes in the lineup, the following directors will also be reporting to Dorssers in the newly formed CQ & DND organization:

—Mario Polit, current director of training, will report to Carolin and Dorssers and will continue to have responsibility for sales and marketing training.
The technical publication group will now report to Polit, the company added.

—Dave Mingle, current senior director of business planning strategy and customer management office (CMO), will oversee customer loyalty, reporting to Dorssers.

“Mingle will continue to oversee customer relationship management and will take the responsibility of the Nissan and Infiniti customer care organization as well,” officials noted.

—Pat Doody, current director of market representation, has been named director of Nissan CQ & DND, reporting to Dorssers. He will maintain a dotted line reporting relationship to Al Castignetti, vice president, Nissan Division.

Doody will maintain oversight of market representation for Nissan and will also take responsibility of all CQ activities for the Nissan brand in his new position.

—David Kershaw, current director of market representation strategy has been named director of dealer network strategy-Americas, reporting to Dorssers.

“Kershaw will now have the responsibility for market representation strategy across the region,” the company added.

—Tai Kawasaki, currently responsible for market representation and after sales for Nissan Brazil, will now focus all attention on CQ & DND for Nissan Brazil, reporting to Dorssers. He will maintain a dotted reporting relationship to Christian Meunier, managing director, Nissan Brazil.

—Ricardo Viana, currently director of after sales, will now report directly to Meunier.

“Viana’s move coincides with the formation of the CQ and DND organization that will better align NBA’s activities with the Nissan Power 88 business priorities,” officials stressed. 

—Mayra Gonzalez, current director of market development, has been named director of CQ & DND for Nissan Mexico and Latin America, reporting to Dorssers. She will maintain a dotted reporting relationship to Jose Luis Valls, managing director, Nissan Mexico and Ken Ramirez, managing director, NLAC.

—Kevin Wagstaff, currently director of market representation for Nissan Canada (NCI), is named director, DND, NCI, reporting to Dorssers. He will maintain a dotted reporting relationship to Mike Colleran, regional vice president, NCI, the company concluded.