Martijn ten Brink will take over as president and CEO of Mazda Motor Europe (MME) on June 24 this year. He replaces Yasuhiro Aoyama, who returns to the headquarters in Japan to take up the role of director, senior managing executive officer for oversight of global marketing, sales and customer service.

Currently ten Brink is vice-president of sales and customer service at MME, a role he has held since 2014.

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“Martijn has been with Mazda for over two decades in many roles, including country management, and he has all the skills required to drive our European operation forward,” said Akira Marumoto, representative director, president and CEO of Mazda. “We wish him every success in his role and would like to thank Yasuhiro Aoyama for his dedication to Europe for the last two years and look forward to welcoming him back to our global headquarters in Hiroshima.”

Commenting on his appointment, ten Brink said: “I am incredibly proud to have been given the opportunity to lead this great business in Europe. But what really excites me is where we are going to take Mazda during the next decade. For the last few years we have been launching products that are successfully going toe-to-toe with the more recognised premium brands, creating new Mazda customers from people who had never previously considered our brand. With the products, services and new experiences I know we are launching in the next few years, I will be devoting all my efforts to accelerating our journey.”

The announcement comes along with other management changes at MME, as part of the company’s mid-term development plan. They include the appointment of Alex Janssens as vice-president information technologies and parts supply and logistics, and chief information officer.

Additionally, Masaharu Kondo, currently general manager of global sales and marketing division at Mazda Motor in Japan, will become vice-president business and product strategy at MME.