Yamaha confirms major management change in Europe

Yamaha Motor Europe has a new president and CEO, after Eric de Seynes stepped down.

De Seynes took up the role of Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) president and CEO in 2018, and stood down from this position on 1 January 2024.

His role has been replaced by Olivier Prevost, who is currently Yamaha Motor Europe vice president.

“It has been a great honour and privilege to have led the Yamaha Motor Europe group companies since 2014 as operational director and COO, and then as president and CEO since 2018,” says De Seynes, in a statement.

“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 per cent to 13 per cent 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.”

Main image: Olivier Prevost (left) with Eric de Seynes. Image courtesy of YME.