Yamaha Motor Europe NV (YME) announces that Eric de Seynes will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2024 to join the company’s Supervisory Board as Chairman. At the same time, Olivier Prévost, currently Vice President of YME, will succeed de Seynes as President and Chief Executive Officer of YME and its offices and subsidiaries in Europe.
Olivier Prévost has been part of the Yamaha family since the start of his professional career in 1994 as project manager at MBK Industrie, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha since 1986.
After approximately 30 years in various positions within the Yamaha Motor Group – MBK Industrie, Yamaha Motor R&D Europe, Yamaha Motor Headquarters in Japan, the former Yamaha subsidiary Motori Minarelli, Yamaha Motor Europe – Prévost has acquired in-depth knowledge of the different aspects of the Yamaha Motor company and thus the confidence and full support to become the successor to de Seynes.
It has been a great honor and privilege to have led the Yamaha Motor Europe group companies since 2014 as Operations Director and COO, and then as President and CEO since 2018. During this decade we have developed a new marketing strategy in Europe, we have expanded our total net sales more than doubled and we have implemented many new customer services and digital applications.
Despite the tough Covid conditions, we have not curtailed our activities and new services. The Yamaha family is made up of passionate and hardworking people with a mindset of always serving our customers and Yamaha dealers to the best of their ability and exceeding their expectations. I am proud to be part of this family. The (mobility) needs of our customers are constantly changing. Especially after the pandemic. We must remain aware of their needs; we have to stay ahead of the game and provide them with the best solutions at the right time.
Over the past ten years we have achieved very good and sustainable results, both financially and commercially. The weight of the European operation has increased on average from 9% to 13% of our global operating results, our brand strategy is well established and our monobrand distribution is solid. These positive results make this the right time to pass the baton. Leading the YME Group is and will remain a challenge, but I am handing over the position of President and CEO to the more than capable hands of Olivier.
Firstly, I would like to thank Eric for his contribution to Yamaha Motor over the years. His passion for the Yamaha brand and its products combined with his leadership has brought Yamaha to its current strong position in Europe. It is with great humility and respect that I take on the challenge of being his successor as YME President.
Over the past ten years, through my various assignments with various Yamaha Motor entities, I have strengthened and expanded my understanding and experience of the Yamaha organization, operations, businesses and markets. With the support of the Yamaha family – and by family I mean Yamaha’s employees, suppliers, distributors, dealers and customers – I feel reassured and confident to take on the role. Yes, I don’t expect the road to always be smooth, but I believe we can make it happen as a team.
After three years in which our operations and markets were impacted by the COVID pandemic and its aftermath, I would like to express Yamaha Motor’s ambition to maintain and strengthen its position in our various markets and product groups. This ambition will be achieved by focusing on innovation in our products and activities combined with speed in our actions. The ultimate goal is to strengthen Yamaha’s Customer Experience and our Kando mission. I would like to thank Eric again for his continued contribution and personally I do not see my new assignment as an achievement in itself, but as a new start!
Biography Eric de Seynes
Current position President and CEO of Yamaha Motor Europe NV and Senior Executive Officer of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
Date of birth June 9, 1960
Birthplace France
June, 1990 Marketing department manager of Yamaha Sonauto
January, 1994 Sales and Marketing Division Manager of Yamaha Motor France
July, 2001 President and Chief Operating Officer of Groupe Option SAS
September, 2009 General Manager of Yamaha Motor France
February, 2010 CEO of Yamaha Motor France
May, 2010 Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Hermès International (until present)
February, 2012 President and CEO of Yamaha Motor France
January 2014 Operational director of Yamaha Motor Europe
July, 2015 Chief Operating Officer of Yamaha Motor Europe NV
March, 2016 Executive Officer of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.,
January, 2018 President of Yamaha Motor Europe NV (until present)
March, 2020 Senior Executive Officer of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., President of Yamaha Motor Europe NV (until present)
From January 1, 2024 Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Yamaha Motor Europe NV
Biography Olivier Prévost
Current position Vice Chairman Yamaha Motor Europe NV
Date of birth November 7, 1969
Birthplace France
September, 1994 Project leader of MBK Industry
January, 2003 VGM R&D from MBK Industrie
April, 2004 Global Sourcing Manager of MBK Industrie (seconded to Yamaha Motor Components Europe Srl)
June, 2006 General Manager EU Purchasing of Yamaha Motor Research & Development Europe Srl
May, 2008 Senior General Manager Product Development of Yamaha Motor Research & Development Europe Srl
June 2013 Senior General Manager Development & Purchasing of Yamaha Motor Research & Development Europe Srl
April, 2014 President General Manager Yamaha Motor Research & Development Europe Srl
February, 2016 Deputy Head of Purchasing Center, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.
January, 2018 Senior General Manager of Procurement Section, Procurement Center, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.
April, 2019 Director Production & Engineering PTW*, Yamaha Motor Europe NV and President of Motori Minarelli SPA
January, 2020 Director of PTW Manufacturing & Engineering and Parts & Accessories, Yamaha Motor Europe NV and President of Motori Minarelli SPA (until Jan 2021)
March, 2021 Deputy Executive Director of Yamaha Motor Europe NV
January, 2023 Vice President Yamaha Motor Europe NV (until present)
From January 1, 2024 President and CEO of Yamaha Motor Europe NV
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.