Mazda Appoints Romano to Head Its Canadian Operations
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IRVINE, CA - April 20, 2006: Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced the appointment of Don Romano as President, Mazda Canada, Inc. (MCI), replacing Mike (Michel) Benchimol, who is no longer with the company.
Romano assumes responsibility for Mazda’s sales, marketing and customer service and parts operations in Canada, and reports to Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO of MNAO.
“Canada is one of Mazda’s strongest markets worldwide, with growth so far this year of nearly 19 percent, and a 4.5 percent market share,” said O’Sullivan. “Don has demonstrated both strong leadership and superb intellectual capabilities in his previous positions here at MNAO, and I expect even greater success for Mazda Canada under his direction.”
Romano assumes his new position just as a slate of all-new vehicles incremental to MCI’s existing lineup begin arriving in Mazda dealerships. The stylish CX-7 crossover SUV goes on sale in May, followed by the ultra high-performance MAZDASPEED3 in late fall, and the company’s largest passenger vehicle ever, the three-row, seven-seat CX-9 crossover SUV, shortly after that.
In his previous position as MNAO’s Vice President of Marketing, Romano, 45, played an integral role in the launch of these vehicles. Romano also served as Regional General Manager for MNAO’s Western Region in the United States, where he helped increase the region’s sales from the second lowest in the nation to the second highest. During his tenure as regional manager, he was also pivotal in improving the profitability and customer satisfaction of the dealers in the 11 western states.
Romano began his career with Nissan Motor Corporation, where he held a number of positions, including corporate sales operations manager and brand manager for the Infiniti Division of Nissan. He joined MNAO six years ago.