GM Canada announces leadership changes

Kristian Aquilina Named GM Canada President and Managing Director

OSHAWA — On Jan. 15, General Motors announced the appointment of Kristian Aquilina, current GM Canada vice president, vehicle sales, service and marketing to GM Canada president and managing director, effective immediately. Aquilina will report to Marissa West, who was previously appointed to senior vice president and president, GM North America.

Aquilina leads GM Canada at a time of reported growth and opportunity, as the industry prepares for an all-electric future and the company continues to build on its recent investments in Canadian manufacturing, EV supply chain and software development work.

“It’s an exciting time to step into the role of president and managing director as GM Canada enters 2024 with incredible growth across the entire business,” said Aquilina. “I look forward to collaborating with our employees, our strong network of Canadian dealers and our many other community and industry partners across the country. Together, we’ll unleash even more opportunities for GM Canada to lead during this period of historic transformation.”

Aquilina joined GM Canada in 2023 as vice president of vehicle sales, service, and marketing, bringing his global experience and perspective to the Canadian dealer network and the entire GM Canada enterprise.

Prior to joining Canada, Aquilina was the managing director of Cadillac International Operations and Cadillac Middle East. He also served as chair and managing director for GM Holden in Australia and New Zealand.

A Message from Kristian Aquilina:

“It’s an exciting time to step into the role of president and managing director as GM Canada enters 2024 with incredible momentum. Under the leadership of Marissa West, we’ve seen remarkable growth across all areas of the business and there are more opportunities ahead for GM Canada to lead during this historic period of transformation.

As always, this begins with delivering products that our customers love, and GM Canada led the industry in total sales and total market share in 2023. It’s a true reflection of our strengthening portfolio across key segments like full-size pickups and full-size SUVs while attracting new customers with high-demand introductions like the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore GX. Continuing to win with our ICE portfolio is critical to maintaining customer relationships and growing loyalty, while fueling our EV transition and future growth.

Our Canadian manufacturing plants are also set to thrive with recent new investments in Oshawa Assembly, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and CAMI Assembly. The Canadian Technical Centre continues to be a hotbed of innovation in software, R&D and advanced vehicle testing. We’ve also just begun to tap into the potential for Canada in the emerging raw mineral and EV battery supply chain, beginning with the new Ultium CAM processing facility in Bécancour, Quebec.”