Yamaha announces major European management change

Yamaha Motor Europe will have a new President and CEO from the beginning of the new year, as Eric de Seynes is set to step down.

De Seynes has been in post as YME’s President and CEO for five years, since 2018, but will step down from this position on 1 January 2024.

His place will be taken by Olivier Prevost, who is currently Yamaha Motor Europe Vice President.

Eric de Seynes, currently President and CEO, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V., said: “It has been a great honour and privilege to have led the Yamaha Motor Europe group companies since 2014 as Operational Director and C.O.O, and then as President and C.E.O since 2018. 

“During this decade we have developed a new marketing strategy in Europe, have more than doubled our total Net sales and have implemented many new customer services and digital applications. Despite the severe Covid environment, we did not curtail our business and new services deployment. 

“The Yamaha family comprises passionate and hardworking people with a mindset to always serve our customers and Yamaha dealers to the best of their ability and to surpass their expectations. I’m proud to be part of this family. The (mobility) needs of our customers are undergoing constant change. Especially, after the pandemic. We must remain aware of their needs; we must stay ahead of the game and provide them with the best solutions at the right moment. 

“During the last ten years, we have achieved very good and sustainable results, financially and commercially. The weight of the European operation has increased in average from 9% to 13% of our global company results (worldwide), our brand strategy is well established and our monobrand distribution is solid. These positive results make it the right moment to pass on the baton. Leading the YME Group is and always will be a challenge but I transfer the position of President and CEO to the more than capable hands of Olivier.”

Olivier Prévost, currently Vice-President Yamaha Motor Europe N.V., said: “First, I would like to thank Eric for his contribution to Yamaha Motor for the last years. His passion for the Yamaha brand and products combined with his leadership have brought Yamaha to its current strong position in Europe. It is with a lot of humility and respect that I accept the challenge of being his successor as YME President. 

“The last ten years, through my various assignments in different Yamaha Motor entities, I have been reinforcing and enlarging my understanding and experience of the Yamaha organization, operations, businesses and markets. With the support of the Yamaha family – and with family I mean the Yamaha employees, suppliers, distributors, dealers and customers, I feel reassured and confident to fulfil the position. Yes, I don’t expect that the path will always be smooth, but I believe that we can make it happen as a team. 

“After three years in which our operations and markets have been impacted by the COVID pandemic and its aftermath, I want to express the ambition of Yamaha Motor to remain and reinforce its position in our different markets and product groups. This Ambition will be achieved by focusing on the Innovation in our products and operations combined with Speed in our actions. 

“The final aim being to reinforce Yamaha’s Customer Experience and our Kando mission. Again, I would like to thank Eric for his continuous contribution and, personally, I do not take my new assignment as an achievement in itself but as a new start!”

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