New head committed to Infiniti roadmap

Roland Krueger, president of Infiniti.

Krueger's emphasis on good relations with the dealership network assures those dealers of what the future holds, and the timing, on the day of Wuest's appointment, demonstrated the importance they hold to the new boss.

Building on the relationships Kirchert forged with the brand's dealers might further inspire Wuest to learn Chinese as they are accustomed to working with a president fluent in the language.

Kirchert will be a hard act to follow, as he was so successful, but Krueger expressed his confidence in Wuest.

"Ms Wuest has extensive experience in China, with living here for eight years and working for premium brands.

"She has been managing and coordinating global sales and marketing operations for Infiniti. She has a deep background in the market and a deep understanding of how to run a company in China and the dealerships in China."

The road ahead will definitely bring challenges for Wuest but "challenge is also opportunity", Krueger said, as the new head brings her own strengths to the brand and steers her own course.

Wuest affirmed her own commitment to the Infiniti roadmap, and said her task is to ensure disciplined implementation of that strategy.

"We all know the Chinese market is a very dynamic market, a volatile market," she said.

"I have a deep, professional interest in the Chinese market and I have a close, emotional tie to the Chinese market, having worked and lived here in my previous job for eight years."

Opportunities abound for Wuest to seize. Infiniti has set an annual sales goal of 100,000 units per year by 2018 in China and is attempting to make itself an alternative to the German brands that dominate the local market.

Dongfeng Infiniti, the marque's only joint venture in China, has a plant in Xiangyang, Hubei province, and its localized models - the Q50 L and QX50 - accounted for 60 percent of the brand's total sales in China in 2015.