Nissan announces leadership transition to accelerate transformation in AMIEO region
Nissan have announced leadership changes in its AMIEO region (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe & Oceania), in support of the Re:Nissan recovery plan.
Effective October 1, 2025, Massimiliano (Max) Messina is appointed Chairperson of the Nissan AMIEO region, assuming full leadership of operations across three continents, 140 countries and with five plants,13,000 employees and 26 models on sale. Messina, 54, currently Vice Chairperson, and Senior Vice President, Chief Finance, Administration and Strategy, Nissan AMIEO, joined Nissan in 2022 with extensive experience in global and international roles across automotive, retail and industrial manufacturing within finance and operations.
His appointment will ensure continuity in the region, alignment with global objectives and maintain strong partnerships with Renault, Mitsubishi and others. The appointment comes as Nissan prepares to bring four new electric vehicles to Europe and follows the successful launches of models including Patrol and Magnite in the Middle East and Africa.
Messina said: “I’m honoured to take on this responsibility at such a critical moment for Nissan.
“I’m proud to lead a team that is working tirelessly to both transform our company and deliver fantastic vehicles to our customers across the AMIEO region.” The appointment will enable Guillaume Cartier, Nissan Chief Performance Officer and Chairperson of the AMIEO region, to focus on his global responsibilities.
As Messina steps into his new role, Victorino (Vito) Esnaola will succeed him as Senior Vice President, Finance & IT for the AMIEO region. Esnaola, 52, who is currently in a global role as Finance Divisional General Manager, joined Nissan in 2015 as Finance Director for NMISA (Spain), before becoming Finance Vice President for Europe in 2019 and moving to his global role in 2024.
In his new role as Senior Vice President, he will report directly to Messina. Commenting on the appointments, Cartier said: “Max’s leadership and operational expertise will be vital to Nissan in the highly diverse AMIEO region, as we accelerate transformation across the business.
“I wish both Max and Vito every success in their new roles as we streamline decision- making and boost performance, ensuring the region’s alignment with the global Re:Nissan plan.” Under the Re:Nissan recovery plan, the company is targeting a return to profitability and positive free cash flow in the automotive business by fiscal 2026.
Decisive actions have already been initiated to support this goal.