Johan de Nysschen has left his post as the president of Cadillac.
We’re not privy to details about what the reasons behind the departure, or whether JdN left of his accord, or was let go by the management of Cadillac parent, General Motors.
General Motors President Dan Ammann was quoted as saying the following of the change:
We appreciate Johan’s efforts over the last four years in setting a stronger foundation for Cadillac. 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.
Update: de Nysschen has broken his silence and spoke with Bloomberg during a brief phone interview, stating that his exit was cordial and there was no single argument or disagreement that led to the sudden departure.
“We agree to disagree and we move on. There wasn’t a fight. Let’s call it philosophical differences”, de Nysschen was quoted as saying, without going into details.
de Nysschen joined Cadillac as president in 2014 and has been widely heralded as a key factor in turning around the automotive luxury brand.
Erick
That is unfortunate. I wonder what caused his expulsion after so many years of ambitious planning. Business Insider interviewed Jessica Caldwell, an executive analyst for Edmunds, and she stated that De Nysschen’s preoccupation with “chasing the German brands instead of embracing Cadillac’s unique heritage” undermined the brand’s mojo. I can’t say I believe that as I always thought Cadillac was just trying to pursue the mainstream market of fast sports sedans. Hopefully, the reason behind his departure will be revealed soon. At least his current game plan hasn’t been derailed.
George S. James
I hope Mary Bara, with her womanly instinct, engineering sense, and marketing abilities, will keep moving forward with Mr. de Nysschen’s vision for Cadillac’s future and ignore the negativity surrounding his sudden dismissal.
Alex Luft
Problem is, that JdN didn’t see eye to eye Amann, rather than with Barra… who appears to be less and less in control. So it’s Ammann who appears to be pulling the strings. Not yet sure if that’s a good thing or not….