NASHVILLE -- Nissan has promoted Mayra Gonzalez, the automaker's sales boss in Mexico, to president of the unit, making her the first woman to lead a Nissan Group country operation.
Gonzalez, 39, will assume her new role on July 1. On that day, current Nissan Mexicana President Airton Cousseau, 50, becomes vice president of Nissan's Chinese affiliate Dongfeng Motor Co. and managing director of Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Co.
As a team, Cousseau and Gonzalez have led Nissan to a 26 percent market share in Mexico – the automaker’s largest share of any world market. Mexico has become a focal point for Nissan globally, as managers from the around the world come for ideas on how to grow market share in their own countries.
Gonzalez was the author of Nissan's "Dealers Standards Improvement" plan, a program aimed at creating more-effective dealers and upgrading facilities. The plan has been adopted by Nissan sales companies in other countries.
The two new assignments, announced late Monday by Nissan North America Chairman Jose Munoz, reward two executives who have sustained the automaker's success in the Mexico market, started there by Munoz himself.
