Automotive News Europe - February 16, 2009 - 11

February 16, 2009 www.autonewseurope.com · PAGE 11 Questionnaire Nissan’s L’Epine has wide taste in books, wine, music Name: Laurent L’Epine. Title: Nissan Europe vice president of aftersales. Age: 52. Languages: French, English, Spanish. Nationality: French. Family: Wife Claude; sons Benoist, 23, and Thibault,20. Countries lived in: France, Switzerland, Turkey, Portugal. Education: A master’s degree in engineering from Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts et Metiers (ENSAM) in Paris and an MBA from the Institut d’Administration des Entreprises, Paris. What’s in your garage now: An Infiniti EX and a Nissan Micra. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up? A sailor in the French navy. Describe your perfect day. Spending 24 hours with my entire family – a rare occasion for us because we are scattered all over the world. Our oldest son is studying in the US while our youngest is studying in Paris. My wife and I live in Switzerland, but I am often away on business trips throughout Europe. What’s your greatest personal achievement to date? My children. What’s your greatest professional achievement so far? The launch of the Megane sedan at the Bursa plant in Turkey in 1998 when I was in charge of product planning. The model was the first modern car built in Turkey for the local market and for export. How do you relax? I enjoy sailing, trekking and reading. What kind of things do you read? I have a very eclectic taste in books. I like 19th century novels, specifically the complete works of Zola and 20th century authors such as Camus, Stephen Zweig, Orhan Pamuk, Hemingway, Saint Exupery and Joseph Kessel. Do you collect anything? Books from the 18th and 19th centuries and antiques from the different countries in which we lived. For example, we have tapestries I bought in Turkey many years ago and Portuguese tile work. What is your favorite memory? Arriving with my family in Istanbul in 1994. I can still remember our awe at seeing the Bosphorus for the first time and the throngs of people. I also remember our awe at the many exotic smells and the muezzin’s call to prayer from his minaret. We ended up spending six wonderful years there. What’s your greatest extravagance? I like to discover the wines from the countries where I lived. In Portugal, I was part of the Club des Amis du Vin. We tasted wines from Douro, Dao, and of course Porto wine. How would you describe your character? Good listener, empathic and passionate. When are you not at your best? After travelling when I have jet lag. What is the most fun you have had in the last year that has nothing to do with the car business? A trip in the Pyrenees mountains with two friends. We spent four days in the wilderness climbing two peaks that are more than 3,300 meters high. What companies do you admire outside the car business? Those with a strong technical background and an international vision such as Alsthom, Dassault, Lafarge and Air Liquide. Nissan’s Laurent L’Epine enjoys a challenge. The 52-year-old executive likes to sail competitively and enjoys testing his strength and endurance by climbing 3,000 meter peaks in the Pyrenees. L’Epine joined Renault from college in 1982 as an engineer in the company’s aftersales department. He worked in procurement and then logistics before becoming deputy aftersales director in 1987. A sales manager role in Turkey followed in 1992 and he became director for product planning and communications at Renault’s Turkish plant in 1994. He joined Renault alliance partner Nissan in Europe in June 2006 as vice president of aftersales. He is based in Rolle, Switzerland, where his office is just five minutes drive from the picturesque Lake Geneva. Jacques Brel, but also Leonard Cohen, Cesaria Evora, Diana Krall and classic rock groups like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. What’s your greatest regret? Not having taken a one year break after my studies to backpack around the world. Which word or phrase do you overuse? Dare, believe and be positive. Olive Keogh What kind of vacations do you like? Active vacations. I enjoy sailing from Bordeaux to Brittany or Spain and also in the Mediterranean. I also like trekking and climbing mountains with good friends because it helps clear my head. What CDs are in your car now? My taste in music is also very eclectic. I like French language singers such as Georges Brassens, Charles Aznavour, Georges Moustaki and Confidential Reward for good behavior According to the 2000 film starring Kevin Spacey, when someone does you a favor, you don’t necessarily pay it back, rather, as per the title, you: “Pay It Forward.” Ursula Piëch, wife of Volkswagen group supervisory board chairman Ferdinand, appears to have wholeheartedly embraced this principle judging by a letter she sent to the Donaukurier in Ingolstadt last month. In the letter she explained how she recently lost an expensive scarf while visiting in Ingolstadt. Having discovered her loss, she retraced her steps through the town’s pedestrian zone. She doubted she would find the item. However, to her surprise, she soon spotted the scarf, neatly folded and draped over a bicycle rack. Since she could not thank the honest citizens of Ingolstadt directly, Frau Piëch expressed her gratitude by making an undisclosed donation to the Finders aren’t always keep- Marienheim ers in Ingolstadt. Kindergarten. of Europe’s sales were sliding, largely because Europeans were clamoring for diesel engines and Ford had only hopelessly outdated units. To the rescue came Jean-Martin Folz, CEO of diesel experts PSA, who appeared alongside then-Ford CEO Jacques Nasser to announce an agreement that would see the two firms jointly develop a family of modern diesel engines. The engines appeared in 2001, to considerable positive comment, in small Citroens and Peugeots and in Ford’s Fiesta (shown). Yet now, thanks to a chance comment to Automotive News Europe by a person involved in the deal at the time, the diesel joint venture can be revealed as a distinctly onesided affair. Of the estimated 200 engineers who were drafted into the program, just one was from Ford. Rust? Me? How dare you! No train, more strain. seemingly insignificant financial gains are now considered worth pursuing even if they cause inconvenience. Previously, a Toyota executive would automatically choose the bullet train for a twohour trip to Tokyo. Not anymore. “We calculated three bullet train tickets versus one vehicle with three persons,” said Toyota’s Takeaki Kato of his journey to the Japanese capital to talk to reporters about the revamped Lexus RX premium SUV. “Previously, at 20,000 yen (about ¤170) versus 17,000 yen we would think it’s almost the same,” he said, adding that they usually opted for what was convenient, even if it cost more. “But in this case, a 3,000 yen difference is very big, so there is no choice. We will take this, cost-wise.” Even, it seems, if it means doubling the journey time and facing the nightmare of Tokyo’s interminable gridlock. Hard times indeed. Lack of memory required Christopher Nicholl, managing director of Alfa Romeo UK and Germany, hopes to sell 5,000 units of the Mito this year. If he hits that target, the Mito will account for more than half of Alfa’s expected UK sales in 2009. “It’s a young, cool car which appeals to a wider audience,” he said. Commenting on Alfa’s past image of unreliability and rusting, he added: “An advantage of selling to the under-30s is that they don’t know any of these things.” Don’t get too comfortable A not-very-joint venture An industry insider has shed some interesting light on the former cooperation between PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Ford over a joint engine development program. The story dates back over a decade to a time when Ford Kaizen, or continuous improvement, underpins Toyota’s success and is deep-rooted in the psyche of its work force. But as Toyota faces its first operating loss in 70 years, employees are being asked to sacrifice more for the good of the company. Welcome to the age of hyper-kaizen. 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Automotive News Europe - February 16, 2009

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