Effective from April 1, the start of the new Japanese financial year, the move will see MMAL’s deputy director of aftersales Shaun Westcott become CEO of the Australian subsidiary.
Mr Signoriello is a three-decade veteran at MMAL and has held the top job since July 2017, when he replaced Mutsuhiro Oshikiri and stepped up from the role of deputy director of marketing.
Previous positions included deputy director of sales, regional state manager (SA/NT), network development manager (NSW/ACT), head of sales planning and distribution, and various assignments in production control – including national manager – from the late 1980s to mid-2000s, when Mitsubishi was operating as a local manufacturer. (It closed its Adelaide factory in 2008.)
The promotion to Mitsubishi Motors Corporation’s executive officer in charge of sales and marketing worldwide places Mr Signoriello at the boardroom table headed by MMC chairman and representative executive officer Osamu Masuko, and which includes CEO Takao Kato, co-COOs Hiroshi Nagaoka and Yoichiro Yatabe (who is also ASEAN chief) and CFO Koji Ikeya.
This is the latest round of appointments at the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance in the post-Ghosn era and sees Mr Signoriello replace Frenchman Guillaume Cartier, who is returning to Nissan Motor Co as senior vice-president in charge of the global Datsun business unit and Nissan’s management committee for Africa, the Middle East and India (MC-AMI).
Mr Cartier is a former sales and marketing chief for Nissan Europe and was hired by ex-alliance czar Carlos Ghosn in 2017 to head up overseas sales for Mitsubishi in what at the time was considered a controversial move given his relatively young age (49) and status as an outsider.
Executives from within Mitsubishi Corporation were usually the automatic choice for such a role.
Meanwhile, Mr Westcott’s appointment as MMAL chief marks another departure from the norm as he brings a wide range of experience from industries outside automotive to the position, including mining, forestry, renewable energy, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), robotics and beverage manufacturing.
Mr Westcott has served as deputy director of aftersales since May last year, holding responsibility for aftersales, parts, accessories and customer experience – all of which he will continue to oversee until a replacement for him is confirmed.
In announcing Mr Westcott’s appointment, and his own imminent departure, Mr Signoriello said: “I am proud of the outstanding commitment and achievements of my team. Shaun is a great fit for MMAL and his diverse experience places him in a strong position to lead this team through the next phase of the business.
“His appointment demonstrates MMC’s commitment to developing talent globally and I look forward to following the developments under Shaun’s leadership over the coming years,” he said.
Prior to joining MMAL, Mr Westcott spent almost two years with robotic and automated packaging company HMPS (Hot Melt Packaging Services), having relocated to Adelaide from South Africa where he had been working for many years in the timber industry as group CEO (and previously COO) of AC Whitcher and related companies.
He also has experience in the educational sector, including six years as chairman of Bay College International School in South Africa’s Western Cape Province.
His LinkedIn profile lists a similar period spent as managing director of Rocky Ridge Ranching at Queenstown in the Eastern Cape Province and 10 years with Coca-Cola Sabco in Port Elizabeth where he held a variety of roles including country manager (HR) and group IR manager.
Among other appointments announced overnight at MMC, Seiji Watanabe was named as corporate officer and division general manager of the design division, replacing corporate vice-president in charge of design, Tsunehiro Kunimoto.
As part of the latest management changes, MMC has revised its reporting structure “to accelerate decision-making process and to further facilitate communication”.
By Terry Martin
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