Who is Paolo D’Ettore?
Paolo is currently Director of the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) Business Unit at Nissan Europe. He leads a team of 20 people across Europe and is responsible for the profit, sales, marketing, product planning and overall program management of the LCV range. The role is varied and can range from managing a rapidly changing business environment to innovation and marketing.
Career history
Having started his career in BMW in Italy holding various sales and marketing positions, Paolo joined Nissan Europe in 2007 as Used Car and Rental section manager. Moving to Fleet and Used Car Manager where he led the re-organisation of the fleet function which became Corporate Sales in Nissan Europe and the regional markets.
In 2012 he moved to the LCV department and has since moved up from product manager. He was made Chief Marketing Manager in 2015 and was then appointed Business Unit Director, the post he has held since 2017. During this time the LCV department has become a major focus for the business and he is responsible for 7 vehicle lines representing 1.6 billion euro in revenue.
Achievements at Nissan
Paolo is extremely proud of his achievements during his time at Nissan, but especially most recently in the LCV department. He has managed the turnaround of the department with a strategic 2 year business plan. Despite headwinds the business unit is thriving and is now a key priority to the overall success of the business.
Personal Memory
Paolo remembers a time when the LCV department was not an attractive option for employees and the atmosphere was negative and downbeat. Along with other team managers he rebuilt the team and created a solid business unit where people have a passion to belong to the team. The whole image has been turned around and now people are queuing to join.
Why is Nissan Different?
Paolo says that Nissan stands out for him because it really values the individuals. “People are valued for their skills. Employees are given free rein to a large extent to achieve their goals and objectives. There are no fixed lines and parameters as in some other companies so flexibility is a positive trait of the company”. He says that this can also sometimes have a negative impact for those not used to working in this environment.
Future Predictions
Paolo believes that the industry will see some major changes in the not too distant future. The electrification of the industry will have a big impact but also the overall business model will change. Ownership and distribution will completely change and companies who do not keep up with these trends will not survive.
Education
Degree in Political Science, University of Milan, Italy
MBA, Il Sole 24 Ore, Italy
In Paolo’s Personal Time
Paolo enjoys spending time with his family – he has 3 young daughters. He is a very keen skier and is taking the exams to be a qualified instructor. He also plays tennis and loves riding his motorbike.
Paolo’s Current Ride
Paolo currently drives a Juke and an X-TRAIL. He learnt to drive in an Autobianchi A112 Elite. The first car he owned was a bright yellow Fiat Punto Sporting.
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