Aston Martin has been running the company without a CEO since Ulrich Bez stepped down from his post at the end of last year to serve as non-executive chairman in a semi-retired ambassadorial capacity.
After almost a year, the British luxury carmaker now has announced the appointment of Andrew Palmer as its new Chief Executive Officer. In a press statement, Palmer, 51, will join Aston Martin from Nissan Motor Corporation where he served as Chief Planning Officer. Palmer will assume operational responsibility for all aspects of the business.
‘Andy’ Palmer CMG is a British-born chartered engineer, chartered manager and businessman with 35 years of automotive industry experience. Palmer was Chief Planning Officer, Executive Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee of Nissan Motor Company reporting directly to the President and CEO. His responsibilities included Corporate and Product Planning, Program Management, Electric Vehicles, Global Marketing Communications, Global Sales and IS/IT. Palmer also served as Chairman of Infiniti.
Palmer started his professional career in 1979 aged 16, as an apprentice at Automotive Products Limited (UK). In 1986 he joined Austin Rover to eventually become Transmissions Chief Engineer of Rover Group. Palmer joined Nissan in 1991 and was based in Japan for the past 13 years.
In 2012, Palmer was named the automotive industry’s most influential British executive by Auto Express, and in 2013, the world’s third most influential Chief Marketing Officer (after Apple and Samsung CMO’s) by the CMO Influence Study, conducted by marketing firm Appinions for Forbes magazine. Furthermore, among Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands 2013, Nissan claimed the fifth position with Palmer being credited with “elevating marketing to a science.” Palmer was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to the British automotive industry.
Palmer will be replaced at Nissan by Renault’s product planning boss Philippe Klein from 15th September 2014.
