Thierry SabbaghNissan has announced a series of senior management changes across its Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO) region as part of its Re:Nissan transformation plan, aimed at improving operational efficiency, speed and customer focus.
Effective January 1, 2026, Thierry Sabbagh’s responsibilities have been expanded to include Nissan India. He will take on the role of Divisional Vice-President and President, Middle East, KSA, CIS and India – Nissan and Infiniti. Nissan said the move is intended to ensure leadership continuity across established markets while strengthening governance and execution in India, which it sees as a strategic growth priority within the AMIEO region.
Massimiliano Messina, Chairperson of Nissan AMIEO, said the Re:Nissan plan is focused on transformation and customer-centricity. He added that empowering regional leadership would enable the company to respond more quickly to market dynamics and deliver competitive products across the region.
Nissan’s India strategy
India is expected to play a central role in Nissan’s plans in 2026 as the company looks to accelerate its resurgence in the market. Over the next 14 to 16 months, Nissan India plans to introduce three new models, including the GRAVITE, TEKTON and a seven-seater C-SUV. The company is also expanding its dealer network, with plans to grow to 250 customer touchpoints across the country. Sabbagh said he was taking on the expanded role at a pivotal time for the company, describing the Middle East and India as dynamic and fast-growing markets with significant opportunities. He said he would work closely with teams and partners to accelerate growth and deliver greater value to customers.
As part of the changes, Nissan also announced that Leon Dorssers, Senior Vice President and Chief of Commercial Operations, Nissan AMIEO, will be leaving the company. Dorssers joined Nissan in 1992 and held senior roles across Europe, the US and Japan, before taking on the AMIEO marketing and sales leadership role in 2021.
Nissan said it has a strong product pipeline for the AMIEO region in 2026, including the India launches of the GRAVITE and TEKTON models in early 2026, alongside new technologies and services aligned with evolving customer needs.
