How a move to N.Y. is reshaping Cadillac

In the three years that Johan de Nysschen has been running Cadillac, he has moved the global headquarters to New York's SoHo neighborhood and has pushed global sales to their highest levels in three decades. The latter is due almost entirely to China, now the fastest-growing market for luxury vehicles. He also has stepped up production of popular crossover models and is making plans for electric vehicles.He spoke with Matthew Flamm of Crain's New York Business, a sister publication of Automotive News. Why move Cadillac from Detroit to New York?Global trends are shaped by a handful of global cities, and New York is one of them. We wanted to participate in it firsthand and see luxury consumption through the eyes of our consumers — which is far easier to do if you live in those places.What has it meant on a practical level to be here?One of the successes of the move has been the talent we've been able to attract: people with luxury-brand experience across many industries, whether it's hospitality, luxury consumer goods or aviation. The mix of talents reflects our future customers. Our team is young and highly qualified — 75 percent have master's degrees or higher. And they bring with them insights that we didn't have. DossierTitle: Executive vice president of General Motors and president of CadillacAge: 57Born: Pretoria, South AfricaResides: Hoboken, N.J.Education: Bachelor's in economics, Nelson Mandela University; MBA, University of PretoriaPersonal: "My mom remembers that when I was 11, I declared that I wanted to be the CEO of Audi." He held senior positions at Audi for two decades, including president of its divisions in Japan and the United States. Drives to work in a Cadillac Escalade SUV.Aside from looking to shake up a faded brand, why make the move now?Three years ago the baby boom generation was displaced as the primary consumers of luxury automobiles. By 2020, 80 percent of luxury automobiles are going to be purchased by members of generations X and Y. We know those generations favor a more progressive, contemporary expression of luxury. Aren't young people in big cities less interested in owning cars?

How a move to N.Y. is reshaping Cadillac

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