BMW Exec Chosen to Head Nissan’s Infiniti Unit

Nissan Motor Co. has hired BMW AG executive Roland Krueger to head its Hong Kong-based Infiniti luxury division.

Krueger, 48, takes over as president of the unit, reporting directly to Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. He succeeds Johan de Nysschen, who left in July to head the Cadillac luxury brand for General Motors Co.

Infiniti Chairman Andy Palmer left last week to become CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. in the U.K.

Krueger had been in charge of BMW's Japan unit and more recently the company's sales operations in Germany. His mission will be to reestablish leadership stability for Infiniti and find ways to bolster the brand's weak cache in the luxury segment.

Krueger began his automotive career as a designer for Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in Germany. He later became a senior designer for Smart city car interiors at Daimler AG and later senior designer for Daimler's strategic planning group.