Infiniti names former BMW man Kruger to fill de Nysschen role

Wed, 10 Sep 2014

Today is turning into a big one for senior leadership changes in the automotive industry. Hot on the heels of Ferrari announcing the replacement of its chairman, Infiniti has announced the appointment of its new chief executive in Roland Krüger.

Serving until now as a senior vice president at BMW, Krüger joins Infiniti as its president as well as senior VP at parent company Nissan, reporting directly to Carlos Ghosn. Krüger had been with BMW since 1998, primarily as a regional director, having previously started his career as a designer for Mitsubishi and the Smart division at Daimler.

Krüger's appointment comes just over a week after the announcement that Infiniti's chairman Andy Palmer would be leaving for Aston Martin, and two months after the departure of outgoing Infiniti president Johan de Nysschen for Cadillac. The Japanese luxury automaker, headquartered in Hong Kong, has been in the meantime essentially operating by committee in the absence of a chief executive. The nomination of Krüger will surely bring a large measure of stability and direction as the company seeks to take a larger slice of the pie, in particular from German automakers like the one for which Krüger worked until now.

Roland Krüger to lead Infiniti

YOKOHAMA, Japan – Roland Krüger, most recently a senior vice president at BMW Group in charge of the German sales region and with an accomplished track record in the premium automotive business, will be appointed president of Infiniti and a senior vice president of the Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., the parent company of the premium brand. Kruger will be based at the company's Hong Kong headquarters and will report to Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

"Roland Krüger has a consistent record of high performance in the premium automotive sector," said Ghosn. "He brings unique leadership skills that will accelerate Infiniti's progress in the global premium market."

Krüger joined BMW in 1998 as a manager of Strategic Product Planning. He earned regular advancement through the BMW Group, including heading the Product and Price Planning area for the Asia-Pacific, Africa and East Europe region, heading Regional Marketing for Asia-Pacific, Africa and East Europe, and serving as managing director of the BMW Group in Asia. In 2008 he was named president and CEO of BMW Group, Japan, and in 2013 was appointed to his most recent position.

Prior to joining BMW Krüger entered the automotive industry in 1992 as an interiors and exteriors designer for Mitsubishi Motors Europe working in Germany. He joined the Daimler Group in 1994 as senior designer, SMART interiors, eventually becoming senior designer in the Strategic Planning Group.

A German national, Kruger was born on September 30, 1965. He earned degrees from the University of Applied Science in Munich, Germany (Industrial Design) in 1992 and INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France (MBA) in 1998.

About Infiniti
Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in approximately 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan and the United States. Production in China and Europe will start soon along with the expansion of the brand's portfolio.

As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Infiniti has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the Formula One team, and Sebastian Vettel, its four-time World Champion driver, serves as Infiniti's Director of Performance.

More information about Infiniti, its Total Ownership Experience® and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infiniti.com. For the latest news on Infiniti, visit InfinitiNews.com, "like" Infiniti on Facebook or follow the brand on Twitter @InfinitiUSA. For interesting content on Infiniti in Formula One visit: www.infiniti-gp.com, www.youtube.com/InfinitiGP or follow on Twitter @InfinitiGP.

About Infiniti in Formula One
Infiniti, the premium automotive brand, starts the 2013 season as Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing. With a deepened technical collaboration across people, process and technologies, an 'open door' approach is enabling both sides to access a pool of innovation, new technologies and R&D resources in the shared pursuit of precision and performance.

Since the partnership's inception in 2011 it has already seen the launch of the Infiniti FX Vettel Edition and product development input from Sebastian Vettel and test driver Sebastien Buemi for the all-new Infiniti Q50 premium sports saloon. Infiniti continues to be the most visible automotive brand in Formula One, and the deepened partnership will ensure closer alignment on an increasing number of future team collaborations.

For interesting content on Infiniti in Formula One visit: www.infiniti-gp.com, www.youtube.com/InfinitiGP or follow on Twitter @InfinitiGP.

By Noah Joseph