Nissan GB confirms James Taylor as new managing director

Nissan GB has now confirmed James Taylor will join as its new managing director from May 1.

AM revealed back in March that Taylor had left Stellantis brand Vauxhall to join Nissan.

Taylor succeeds Diana Torres as managing director and arrives at Nissan ahead of the launch of major new products in 2025.

Launches this year include the new Micra EV and a new Leaf EV, plus the next generation of Nissan’s e-POWER hybrid technology, on Qashqai.

A new Juke will join the line-up in 2026.

Taylor brings more than two decades of expertise across all aspects of automotive sales and marketing, including most recently in his role as managing director at Vauxhall Motors.

He will report to Mayra González, divisional vice president for marketing and sales at Nissan Europe.

Taylor said: "These are very dynamic times for the automotive industry so now, more than ever, we need to be agile and responsive to business needs and customer demands.

“Nissan already makes two of the UK’s top-selling cars, has exciting new products on the way and is a brand with real momentum.

"I look forward to working with the Nissan team, its dealer partners, and other stakeholders to navigate current industry challenges and build the business for sustainable future success.”

Taylor started his career with Vauxhall with roles in market analysis and sales operations.

Following business and contract hire manager roles with parent company GM, he later took on director roles in fleet sales and marketing.

There then followed a role with Stellantis as B2B director before he returned to Vauxhall as managing director.

González added: “We are happy to welcome James to the UK team and congratulate him on this appointment.

"2025 is a hugely important year for Nissan’s largest European market and his experience will be invaluable as we strengthen our operations, accelerate our electrification plans, and evolve our network strategy to better serve our customers and support our dealers."