After 24 years with Nissan, Tom Semple will retire as president of Nissan Design America, effective September 30.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Semple’s duties will be undertaken by new NDA senior management members.


Bruce Campbell, currently director of design, will become vice president of design.


Victor Nacif has been named vice president, design business aspects.


Shiro Nakamura, senior vice president, Nissan Motor Co., will assume the position of NDA president in addition to his responsibility as the head of global Nissan design.


Semple was recruited from General Motors in 1980 as part of the original design team at Nissan Design International, which NDA was known as originally.


He helped shape the Maxima, Xterra, the Hardbody pickup truck, the Pathfinder sports-utility vehicle and the original Quest minivan.


Nissan Design America has studios in San Diego, California and Farmington Hills, Michigan and both are currently being expanded.

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact