Nissan announced today the appointment of Paul Willcox as chairman for Nissan's Europe region.

The appointment is part of senior management and organisational changes designed to further strengthen operations in Europe and globally.

Willcox will report to Trevor Mann, Nissan global chief performance officer, and his start date will be announced in due course.

Mann said: "I am delighted about Paul's appointment. With his deep knowledge of Nissan and strong leadership, I am confident that Paul will succeed in achieving our European performance objectives."

Willcox joins Nissan from Volkswagen Group UK where he was managing director. The German manufacturer announced that he has been replaced by Paul Willis.