Aston Martin has just scored a motoring heavyweight appointing former Nissan Chief Planning Officer and Executive Vice President, Andy Palmer, as its new CEO. This comes despite conformation in late July that the British marque was in no rush to find a new CEO.
Palmer’s new role at Aston Martin will see him assume operational responsibility for all aspects of the business through the company’s next phase of technology and product creation. With 35 years of experience in the automotive industry, Palmer, 51, will begin his duties with the British sports car maker after completing a transition period from Nissan.
In 2012, Palmer was named as the automotive industry’s most influential British executive by Auto Express and then in 2013, named the world’s third most influential chief marketing officer behind the CMO’s of Apple and Samsung.
In a statement from the shareholder board of Aston Martin, the company said, “We’re delighted that Andy will join us as our new CEO at this important time at Aston Martin. Andy’s wealth of experience on the global automotive stage in marketing and sales, engineering and technology, and luxury and brand management will be instrumental in taking Aston Martin forward through its most significant and ambitious period of investment to date.”
The next few years are shaping up to be the most exciting and important in the company’s long history. Starting in 2016, a brand new Aston Martin DB9 will be launched and kick-start a selection of new models. Following on from the next-generation DB9, all Aston Martins will be AMG powered and use electrical infrastructures borrowed from AMG. The engine most likely to be adopted will be the new AMG 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 set to power the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GT, next-generation C63 AMG as well as the next-generation E63 AMG among other Mercedes-Benz models. Replacements for the V8 Vantage, V12 Vantage and Vanquish will launch after the new DB9.
