Nissan has announced a leadership shake-up in its Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO) region, a vast market spanning 140 countries, five plants and more than 13,000 employees. The move is aimed at accelerating the company’s ongoing transformation under the Re:Nissan recovery plan.
Effective October 1, 2025, Massimiliano (Max) Messina will take over as Chairperson of the AMIEO region, succeeding Guillaume Cartier, who will now focus fully on his global responsibilities as Chief Performance Officer.
Messina, 54, currently serves as Vice Chairperson and Senior Vice President for Finance, Administration and Strategy in AMIEO. He joined Nissan in 2022, bringing with him decades of international experience across automotive, retail and industrial manufacturing.
As per the company, his elevation is intended to ensure continuity and strengthen regional alignment with Nissan’s global goals, while sustaining partnerships with Renault, Mitsubishi and other allies.
The leadership change comes at a pivotal time for Nissan, with the company preparing to launch four new electric vehicles in Europe. It also follows recent successful rollouts of models such as the Patrol and Magnite in Middle Eastern and African markets.
“I’m honoured to take on this responsibility at such a critical moment for Nissan,” Messina said. “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.”
As part of the transition, Victorino (Vito) Esnaola, 52, will step into Messina’s current role as Senior Vice President for Finance and IT in AMIEO. Esnaola, who most recently served as Finance Divisional General Manager in a global role, has been with Nissan since 2015, holding positions including Finance Director for NMISA (Spain) and Finance Vice President for Europe. 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.”
Nissan’s Re:Nissan recovery plan is designed to restore profitability and generate positive free cash flow in the automotive business by fiscal 2026. The company has already begun taking decisive actions to hit those targets.
The AMIEO region, home to a population of nearly 3.8 billion, remains central to Nissan’s global ambitions. Its portfolio spans from the iconic Nissan Patrol SUV to the pioneering Nissan Qashqai and the fully electric Ariya crossover.
At the heart of the company’s strategy is Ambition 2030, a long-term plan focused on electrification and carbon neutrality. Nissan has pledged to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products and operations by 2050.
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Effective October 1, 2025, Massimiliano (Max) Messina will take over as Chairperson of the AMIEO region, succeeding Guillaume Cartier, who will now focus fully on his global responsibilities as Chief Performance Officer.
Messina, 54, currently serves as Vice Chairperson and Senior Vice President for Finance, Administration and Strategy in AMIEO. He joined Nissan in 2022, bringing with him decades of international experience across automotive, retail and industrial manufacturing.
As per the company, his elevation is intended to ensure continuity and strengthen regional alignment with Nissan’s global goals, while sustaining partnerships with Renault, Mitsubishi and other allies.
The leadership change comes at a pivotal time for Nissan, with the company preparing to launch four new electric vehicles in Europe. It also follows recent successful rollouts of models such as the Patrol and Magnite in Middle Eastern and African markets.
“I’m honoured to take on this responsibility at such a critical moment for Nissan,” Messina said. “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.”
As part of the transition, Victorino (Vito) Esnaola, 52, will step into Messina’s current role as Senior Vice President for Finance and IT in AMIEO. Esnaola, who most recently served as Finance Divisional General Manager in a global role, has been with Nissan since 2015, holding positions including Finance Director for NMISA (Spain) and Finance Vice President for Europe. 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.”
Nissan’s Re:Nissan recovery plan is designed to restore profitability and generate positive free cash flow in the automotive business by fiscal 2026. The company has already begun taking decisive actions to hit those targets.
The AMIEO region, home to a population of nearly 3.8 billion, remains central to Nissan’s global ambitions. Its portfolio spans from the iconic Nissan Patrol SUV to the pioneering Nissan Qashqai and the fully electric Ariya crossover.
At the heart of the company’s strategy is Ambition 2030, a long-term plan focused on electrification and carbon neutrality. Nissan has pledged to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products and operations by 2050.
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