Franklin, Tenn. – Nissan today announced that Michael Soutter will assume the role of senior vice president, U.S. Marketing and Sales, Nissan and INFINITI. In this role, he will be responsible for all marketing and sales activities for the Nissan brand in the U.S., while also overseeing the INFINITI business in the Americas.
In more than a decade with Nissan, Soutter has held key global and regional leadership roles. From 2018-2022, he served as vice president, Aftersales, Nissan Americas, based in Franklin. He subsequently moved to Japan and was named corporate vice president, leading Nissan's Global Aftersales business from 2022-2023. In each of these positions, he drove strong performance, resulting in record operating profits for the business unit.
Previously, he held several other leadership positions in sales and aftersales for Nissan Canada.
"Mike is a strong and experienced leader within Nissan who brings a track record of success working with our dealer partners," said Christian Meunier, chairman, Nissan Americas. "As we continue to build momentum in the U.S., Mike is the right person to drive our efforts to enhance the Nissan and INFINITI brands, deliver great customer experiences and grow our sales in a competitive market."
Soutter replaces Vinay Shahani, who is departing Nissan to take an opportunity outside of the automotive industry that allows him to remain closer to his family.
"Since rejoining the company in early 2024, Vinay has led the charge to redefine the Nissan and INFINITI brands and put us back in our rightful place in the market and in the minds of customers," said Meunier. "Vinay has been a tireless champion for Nissan and INFINITI, and we will miss his commitment and innovative spirit. We wish him the best as he steps into the next chapter of his career."
Soutter's appointment is effective immediately, and he will be based at Nissan Americas headquarters in Franklin. He holds a bachelor's and master's degree in economics from Concordia University, and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University.
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