Left turn: Nissan says Richard Emery brought “steady leadership and business improvements” but the company is now looking for a “new level of performance”.

NISSAN Australia managing director and CEO Richard Emery has made a shock departure from the company this week as the Japanese manufacturer attempts to reach a “new level of performance” in the marketplace after struggling in recent years.

Mr Emery’s sudden exit comes three-and-a-half years into his tenure as head of Nissan and its luxury brand Infiniti in Australia and New Zealand, overseeing not only the car business but other operations including its Victorian casting plant and financial services arm.

He will be replaced by Stephen Lester, who since April 2015 has served as managing director of Infiniti Canada and officially takes the reins of the Antipodean operations next Monday, September 4.

The company has provided few details on the reasons behind Mr Emery’s dismissal, releasing a short statement today announcing the appointment and quoting Nissan’s Asia and Oceania region chief Yutaka Sanada, who said: “Stephen Lester’s arrival at Nissan Australia coincides with our plans for the brand’s next direction and he brings to our Australian team strong experience, knowledge and business-building skills.

“He takes the reins from Richard Emery, who has successfully guided our Australian operation with steady leadership and business improvements since 2014.”

GoAuto understands the decision to replace Mr Emery was taken by Mr Sanada and is directly related to the Nissan brand’s diminishing market share – down from 7.2 per cent in 2012 to 5.0 per cent this year – and lower-than-expected sales.

Sales were on downward trajectory when Mr Emery – an experienced Australian motor industry executive who has almost 30 years’ experience with Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Audi and Land Rover – took over in April 2014 but has continued to struggle since then.

From a height of 79,747 sales in 2012, Nissan had fallen to 66,026 units by the end of 2014 and remained at the 66K mark in 2015 and 2016. To the end of July this year, sales were down 12.3 per cent on the same period last year.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has formulated new targets for its operations worldwide since Mitsubishi joined the group last year, and chairman Carlos Ghosn made it clear when visiting Australia in June that Nissan’s performance needed to improve.

Left: Incoming Nissan Australia managing director and CEO Stephen Lester.

A Nissan Australia spokesperson told GoAuto that Mr Lester’s appointment reflects the local subsidiary’s plan to reach “a new level of performance” in what is an “ever-changing and dynamic market”.

The spokesperson said the company was confident that Mr Lester “will lead the Australian business to the next level” and that his appointment was in line with “standard executive leadership management changes” – with Nissan striving to achieve “the right mix” of local and international talent.

There is no word yet on Mr Emery’s next move, and no comment from the company on when the decision to replace him was made or whether other local executives were considered for the position.

These include Peter Jones, who was interim managing director and CEO in the period between Mr Emery’s appointment and Bill Peffer’s sudden resignation in September 2013.

A former BMW Group Canada executive, Mr Lester’s appointment marks a return to Nissan looking abroad for the managing director of its Australian-based operations and will prompt a review of current local policies such as its involvement in motorsport and non-participation in several passenger car segments.

Mr Emery was the first Australian to be permanently placed in the top job at Nissan since Leon Daphne’s reign from 1991 to 2004.

After Mr Daphne’s retirement, the company was steered by Japanese executive Shinya Hannya (2004-2008), American Dan Thompson (2008-2012) and compatriot Bill Peffer, who was in the job for only 18 months before jumping ship to General Motors.

Prior to joining Nissan, Mr Emery spent more than five years in charge of Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales in Australia and New Zealand.

He spent the previous six years working for Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited in senior positions including national marketing manager and regional manager for South Australia and Western Australia.

He was general manager of advertising and marketing agency Dare from 2000 to 2002, having earlier spent almost three years with Audi as regional sales manager for the Asia-Pacific region and, from 1990 to 1997, holding several management positions with Land Rover Australia across sales and marketing, network planning and brand development.

By Terry Martin