- Nissan GB appoints new managing director, effective 1st May 2025
- James Taylor arrives ahead of significant new model launches in 2025 and 2026
Nissan GB announces the appointment of James Taylor as its new managing director.
An experienced automotive leader, he arrives at Nissan ahead of the launch of major new products in 2025, including an all-new MICRA EV and all-new LEAF EV, plus the next generation of Nissan's unique e‑POWER hybrid technology, on Qashqai.
Taylor brings more than two decades of expertise across all aspects of automotive sales and marketing, including most recently in his role as managing director at Vauxhall Motors Ltd. He will report to Mayra González, divisional vice president for marketing and sales at Nissan Europe.
"These are very dynamic times for the automotive industry so now, more than ever, we need to be agile and responsive to business needs and customer demands," he said.
"Nissan already makes two of the UK's top-selling cars, has exciting new products on the way and is a brand with real momentum. I look forward to working with the Nissan team, its dealer partners, and other stakeholders to navigate current industry challenges and build the business for sustainable future success."
Taylor started his career with Vauxhall with roles in market analysis and sales operations. Following business and contract hire manager roles with parent company GM, he later took on director roles in fleet sales and marketing. There then followed a role with Stellantis as B2B director before he returned to Vauxhall as managing director.
Mayra González added: "We are happy to welcome James to the UK team and congratulate him on this appointment. 2025 is a hugely important year for Nissan's largest European market and his experience will be invaluable as we strengthen our operations, accelerate our electrification plans, and evolve our network strategy to better serve our customers and support our dealers."
Nissan's ongoing electrified product offensive will be powered up with the launch of upgraded Qashqai e‑POWER technology and four new electric vehicles over the next two years. These include the all-new MICRA and LEAF in 2025, followed by the all-new Juke EV and a city car from FY2026.
James succeeds Diana Torres as managing director and takes up his role from 1st May 2025.
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About Nissan in the UK:
Nissan employs around 7,000 people across the UK including at its design centre in Paddington, London, and its R&D engineering centre in Cranfield. Sunderland is home to the UK's biggest single car plant, which builds two of the nation's best-selling cars – the Juke and Qashqai.
These models will soon be joined by the European version of the new LEAF, which will be manufactured in Sunderland as part of Nissan's EV36Zero project.
EV36Zero is Nissan's vision for the future of sustainable manufacturing – a blueprint that will transform Sunderland Plant into a flagship EV hub, bringing together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production. This is part of Nissan's goal to become a truly sustainable company and usher in a cleaner, safer and more inclusive world.