User:Swissmiss7/James O'Sullivan

James O'Sullivan; is President and CEO, Mazda North America Operations Managing Executive Officer, Mazda Motor Corporation.

In 2009, James O'Sullivan received the Automotive Executive of the Year Award in recognition of his past and present excellence in automotive leadership and innovation. The award was presented on May 6, 2009 at the Detroit Athletic Club among industry colleagues and family members. The award, in existence since 1946, is sponsored by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), a primary global leader in automotive management system certification.

As president and CEO for Mazda North America Operations and Managing Executive Officer, Mazda Motor Corporation, James O’Sullivan is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s U.S., Canadian and Mexican operations, including sales, marketing, parts and service, logistics, communications, customer support and regional operations. O’Sullivan was appointed to this position in April 2003 and reports directly to Dan Morris, director, senior managing executive officer in charge of marketing, sales and customer service.

O'Sullivan brings to Mazda a wealth of automotive experience from nearly 30 years in the business. He joined Ford Motor Company in 1976 and has held a number of key roles in the areas of sales and marketing. Most recently, he played a leading role at the Lincoln Mercury division of Ford Motor Company as franchise & business development manager.

Prior to that, he served as Lincoln brand manager and oversaw the launch of key Lincoln products. His automotive background includes management of regional retail sales, regional operations, advertising and technical training.

Born in Detroit in 1953, O'Sullivan graduated with a bachelor’s of business administration from the University of Detroit in 1976 and received an MBA with an emphasis on marketing in 1984, also from the University of Detroit.

References

James O'Sullivan corporate biography: Ford website

James O'Sullivan receives Automotive Executive of the Year Award: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS202323+05-Mar-2009+PRN20090305