Infiniti Announces Management Changes

TOKYO, JAPAN - April 9, 2009: Infiniti has announced the appointment of a new global leader as well as some further changes to its senior management team. Toru Saito, Corporate Vice President, has been named Leader of the Global Infiniti Business Unit (IBU), located in Atsugi City, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. Saito moves from his previous role as Senior Vice President, Nissan International S.A. and replaces Akihiro Otomo, Corporate Vice President, who takes on a new assignment with responsibility for Product Supply and Quality.

Eric Sipe, General Manager, is now responsible for Control, Corporate Planning and HR for the Infiniti division. Previously, Sipe was responsible for Sales and Marketing. Jon Brancheau has been appointed Director, Global Marketing, Previously, Brancheau directed Marketing Communications and Media for Infiniti’s U.S. operations. Yoshito Ishikawa has been appointed Senior Manager, Global Brand and Product Marketing. Ishikawa’s previous role was directing Infiniti’s Global Marketing Group. In addition, James Wright who was Vice President for Infiniti Europe is now responsible for Infiniti across the new region of Africa, Middle East, India and Europe (AMIE).

In summary, Saito is supported in the IBU by the following functional leaders:

Akihiro Otomo, Corporate Vice President, Product Supply & Quality

Takaaki Oaku, Program Director, Program Management

Junji Okada, Segment Chief Product Specialist, Product Planning

Eric Sipe, General Manager, Control, Corporate Planning and HR

Jon Brancheau, Director, Marketing

Wayne Bruce, Director, Communications

Yoshito Ishikawa, Senior Manager, Product Marketing & Brand

Takashi Watanabe, Senior Manager, Sales Excellence

Yoshitaka Okuda, Senior Manager, Aftersales

The IBU has the following regional leaders reporting to Saito:

Ben Poore, Vice President, Infiniti Americas

James Wright, Vice President, Infiniti Africa, Middle East, India & Europe (AMIE)

Koji Kawakita, Division General Manager, Infiniti China

John Um, Director, Infiniti Korea

Philip Wang, General Manager, Infiniti Taiwan

“Infiniti has taken significant strides towards becoming a globally recognised luxury brand in recent years. Our launch in Western Europe, the unveiling of Infiniti Essence at the Geneva Motor Show, and the upcoming launch of the Infiniti G37 Convertible/Cabrio have all contributed to our progress,” said Saito. “Although today’s macroeconomic environment is challenging, we will continue to press forward with improvements in brand strength and market presence.”

The IBU was established in April 2008 to enhance the global business operations of the Infiniti luxury brand. Its aim is to solidify global business operations for Infiniti, ensure consistent development of the Infiniti brand, and drive profitable growth for Infiniti around the world. The IBU encompasses the fields of program management, product planning, technical development, purchasing, quality, manufacturing, marketing, sales, after sales, and corporate communications.

Infiniti vehicles are offered in many countries around the world, including the regions of North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia. In 2009, Infiniti will continue its expansion across Europe with launches in countries such as the United Kingdom, and Germany. In calendar year 2008, Infiniti sold 147,223 vehicles globally.