Photo: Cadillac
The Cadillac brand’s president since September 1st, 2014, Johan de Nysschen is now out of the picture. And out of General Motors according to an official statement, with de Nysschen “leaving the company effective immediately.”
There’s been rumors in the past couple of months about friction between him and chief executive officer Mary Barra, and the immediate nature of the departure sort of proves that the rumors were true. Although some may blame de Nysschen for stagnating Cadillac for the past four years, bear in mind that General Motors didn’t give Cadillac the research & development budget the luxury brand deserves.
It’s hard to judge the 58-year-old official for his stint at Cadillac, more so if you bear in mind that General Motors allowed the brand to debut two all-new models during Johan’s tenure. Yes, just two! These are the CT6 full-size sedan and XT4 compact crossover. What’s more, the 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 in the CT6 V-Sport was introduced during de Nysschen’s time as well.
“We appreciate Johan’s efforts over the last four years in setting a stronger foundation,” said General Motors president Dan Ammann. “Looking forward, the world is changing rapidly, and, beginning with the launch of the new XT4, it is paramount that we capitalize immediately on the opportunities that arise from this rate of change. This move will further accelerate our efforts in that regard."
After heading BMW in South Africa in the early 1990s, de Nysschen then swung over to the South African branch of Audi. In 2004, Audi appointed him head honcho of U.S. operations, after which Infiniti took him in as president in 2012.
In his place at Cadillac comes Steve Carlisle, currently president and managing director of GM Canada. Travis Hester, currently vice-president of Global Product Programs, will succeed Carlisle, with the transition described as… wait for it… immediate.
“The potential for Cadillac across the globe is incredible and I’m honored to be chosen to be a part of mapping that future,” commented Carlisle about his new and not-exactly-easy position. “I look forward to building on our current momentum as we continue on our mission to position Cadillac at the pinnacle of luxury.”
Steve Carlisle started his General Motors career in 1982 as an industrial engineering co-op student at the Oshawa Truck Assembly Plant. Over the years, he leveled up to vice-president of Global Product Planning (2010 to 2014), vice president of U.S. Sales Operations (2010), and president and managing director of Southeast Asia Operations (2007 to 2010).
It’s hard to judge the 58-year-old official for his stint at Cadillac, more so if you bear in mind that General Motors allowed the brand to debut two all-new models during Johan’s tenure. Yes, just two! These are the CT6 full-size sedan and XT4 compact crossover. What’s more, the 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 in the CT6 V-Sport was introduced during de Nysschen’s time as well.
“We appreciate Johan’s efforts over the last four years in setting a stronger foundation,” said General Motors president Dan Ammann. “Looking forward, the world is changing rapidly, and, beginning with the launch of the new XT4, it is paramount that we capitalize immediately on the opportunities that arise from this rate of change. This move will further accelerate our efforts in that regard."
After heading BMW in South Africa in the early 1990s, de Nysschen then swung over to the South African branch of Audi. In 2004, Audi appointed him head honcho of U.S. operations, after which Infiniti took him in as president in 2012.
In his place at Cadillac comes Steve Carlisle, currently president and managing director of GM Canada. Travis Hester, currently vice-president of Global Product Programs, will succeed Carlisle, with the transition described as… wait for it… immediate.
“The potential for Cadillac across the globe is incredible and I’m honored to be chosen to be a part of mapping that future,” commented Carlisle about his new and not-exactly-easy position. “I look forward to building on our current momentum as we continue on our mission to position Cadillac at the pinnacle of luxury.”
Steve Carlisle started his General Motors career in 1982 as an industrial engineering co-op student at the Oshawa Truck Assembly Plant. Over the years, he leveled up to vice-president of Global Product Planning (2010 to 2014), vice president of U.S. Sales Operations (2010), and president and managing director of Southeast Asia Operations (2007 to 2010).
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