Gurugram: Nissan has announced a series of senior management changes across its Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO) region, aimed at strengthening execution of the Re:Nissan transformation plan while enhancing operational efficiency, speed, and customer focus.
Effective 1 January 2026, Thierry Sabbagh’s responsibilities have been expanded to include Nissan India, as he assumes the role of Divisional Vice President and President, Middle East, KSA, CIS and India – Nissan and Infiniti. The expanded mandate reflects Nissan’s focus on maintaining leadership continuity across established markets while strengthening governance, execution, and growth momentum in India, a key strategic priority within the AMIEO region.
India is expected to play a central role in Nissan’s ambitions for 2026, as the brand accelerates its resurgence in the market. Building on this momentum, Nissan India plans to introduce three new models over the next 14 to 16 months, including GRAVITE, TEKTON, and a 7-seater C-SUV. The company also aims to expand its customer reach through a growing dealer network with 250 touchpoints across the country.
Commenting on the announcement, Massimiliano Messina, Nissan AMIEO Chairperson, said, “The Re:Nissan plan is about transformation and customer-centricity. By empowering regional leadership, we are creating a more agile organization that can respond quickly to market dynamics and deliver competitive, compelling products. I am confident these changes will strengthen our performance and supercharge our progress in 2026 and I wish Thierry every success in his new role.”
Thierry Sabbagh, Divisional Vice President and President, Middle East, KSA, CIS and India – Nissan and Infiniti, added, “I am honored to take on this expanded role at a pivotal time for Nissan. The Middle East and India are dynamic, fast-growing and continuously evolving markets, with significant opportunities ahead. I look forward to working closely with our talented teams and partners across the region to build on our strong foundations, accelerate growth and deliver meaningful value for our customers.”
Welcoming the appointment, Saurabh Vatsa, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India, said, “This is a significant moment for Nissan in India as we enter a new phase of growth. Having Thierry on board reinforces our confidence in the path ahead, and his experience and leadership will be instrumental in strengthening our market presence and delivering even greater value to our customers. This appointment further strengthens our leadership as we move from transformation to execution, with a clear focus on products, customers and sustainable growth.”
The leadership changes underline Nissan’s commitment to delivering innovative products and services with greater speed and precision, while staying closely aligned with evolving customer needs across the diverse AMIEO markets.
Nissan also announced the departure of Leon Dorssers, Senior Vice President and Chief of Commercial Operations, Nissan AMIEO. Dorssers joined Nissan as a trainee in Nissan Europe, Amsterdam in 1992, and went on to hold several leadership roles across France, Spain, Belgium, the Americas, and Japan, before being appointed Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales, AMIEO, in 2021.
