MISSISSAUGA, ONT. – Today Nissan announced the promotion of Ken Hearn, currently regional general manager, central region, Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI), to the position of director, dealer network development, NCI. Hearn replaces Vincent Boerhof who was recently promoted to general manager, global dealer network development Americas, within the global headquarters of Nissan Motor Limited.
Hearn has over 13 years of diverse experience within the automotive industry, and since joining Nissan Canada in 2013, he has been instrumental in driving Nissan growth in Ontario, as well as successfully planning and executing a focused distribution strategy for Nissan and Infiniti.
In his new role, Hearn will be responsible for growing and strengthening the partnership with head office and Nissan and Infiniti dealers in Canada, and also sustaining the significant positive momentum in the dealer's business growth. He will also focus on the continued evolution of the retail experience in Canada through class-leading dealer facilities that will help deliver volume growth and enhanced customer-focused initiatives within the dealer network.
"Ken has a proven track record of providing strong leadership, strategic planning and driving results, and has been an important part of Nissan's success in Canada," said Joni Paiva, president of Nissan Canada Inc. "Ken's previous experience with dealer network development at another OEM, combined with his field experience, uniquely position him to replace Vincent Boerhof, who has provided exceptional leadership in this role. We thank Vincent Boerhof for his contribution to the growth of Nissan and Infiniti in Canada, by establishing a dealer network with strong operators, significantly improved profitability and franchise value."
Julie Daigle, currently senior manager, customer quality, has been tasked with implementing a greater focus on customer experience, and along with Hearn, will be reporting directly to Joni Paiva, president of NCI. Both Hearn and Daigle will assume their new roles on July 1, 2016.
Daigle rejoined Nissan Canada in February 2016, and has over 20 years of experience within the automotive industry. Daigle will work in conjunction with the Nissan and Infiniti dealer network to enhance the customer experience across all touchpoints and establish the new Customer Promise, including leading the implementation of new technology within dealerships to ensure exceptional sales and service experiences.
"We needed to further bolster our team to work in conjunction with our dealer network to provide the best possible experience to all our customers," added Paiva. "Julie has proven she has the leadership, strategic and organizational skills to bridge that relationship between the brands and the dealers, so we can work together to achieve this common goal."
# # #
