The former managing director and chair of GM Holden Australia and New Zealand, Kristian Aquilina continues to climb the corporate ladder at General Motors with his elevation to GM Canada president and managing director.
He was formerly the vice president of vehicle sales, service and marketing for GM Canada. Before, Aquilina was the managing director of Cadillac International Operations and Cadillac Middle East.
His direct report is Marissa West, who is the senior vice president and president of GM North America.
Under his tenure as vice president of vehicle sales, service and marketing, GM Canada led the industry in total market share and total sales for 2023 – the first time since 2009.
“It’s a reflection of our strengthening portfolio across key segments like full-size pickups and full-size SUVs while attracting new customers with high-demand introductions like the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore GX,” Aquilina says.
“Continuing to win with our ICE portfolio is critical to maintaining customer relationships and growing loyalty while fuelling our EV transition and future growth.
“It’s an exciting time to step into the role of president and managing director as GM Canada enters 2024 with incredible growth across the entire business.
“I look forward to collaborating with our employees, our strong network of Canadian dealers and our many other community and industry partners across the country.
There’s no doubt the road ahead will continue to bring challenges, but as vice president, I’ve seen first-hand the agility and tenacity of the GM Canada team and our strong Canadian dealer network. To have the opportunity to continue this work with the entire GM Canada team is a dream come true,” he says.
