Mike Whitfield
Nissan Africa South (NAS) chairperson Mike Whitfield has been elected president of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM).
He replaces Volkswagen Group of South Africa chairperson and MD Thomas Schäfer.
Whitfield, former AAAM VP and president of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa, joined Nissan in 1981 as a marketing trainee.
He held various management positions in sales and marketing before he was appointed director of the heavy vehicle division in 1993.
Whitfield was appointed as Nissan SA MD in 2008. In July 2019 he became NAS chairperson, taking charge of more than 50 African countries. He is currently based in Egypt as the MD of the Japanese manufacturer’s operations in this North African country.
“Being president of AAAM will allow me to utilise my extensive experience in the motoring industry, as well as in my previous roles at AAAM to build on the work done to date,” says Whitfield.
“Now that we have Dave Coffey, our CEO for AAAM, in place, we can bring to fruition some of the exciting projects that AAAM is working on.”
The AAAM was established in November 2015. It focuses on the expansion and deepening of the automotive industry across the continent, by working with governments to shape and implement policies that will attract investors, unlock the economic potential of the continent and align a global network of stakeholders committed to the development of the automotive industry in Africa.
Office bearers of AAAM are elected on a yearly basis.