Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) announced today that Michael van Zomeren has been appointed as Director of Marketing & Motorsport, and member of the YME Management Committee, effective immediately.
Michael succeeds Paolo Pavesio, who will support Michael temporarily as YME Division Manager Motorsport until end of October and who remains member of YME’s Management Committee until his new assignment within the Yamaha Motor Group.
In his new role Michael van Zomeren, previously the Country Manager of Yamaha Motor Scandinavia (YMSCA), will assume responsibility for YME’s Marketing and Motorsport Divisions, together with Corporate Communication.
YME’s Marketing function coordinates Brand Marketing and Digital activities for all product groups distributed by Yamaha Motor in Europe, while Motorsport Division is responsible for the strategy, organization and communication of Yamaha’s production-based racing activities, including WorldSBK, EWC, MXGP, Rally Raid and the unique bLU cRU program dedicated to young racers.
Michael van Zomeren has an educational background in Marketing and close to 30 years of experience in various Sales, Marketing, Product Management and General Management positions. He has always worked in international, multi-cultural environments, mainly working in North and South America, Japan and Europe. He has 26 years of experience within the Yamaha organization, of which 20 years in the European head-office in Schiphol-Rijk and the last six years he has worked as Country Manager of Yamaha Motor Scandinavia from the Stockholm office, overlooking the business operations in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. After having spent six years in the Nordics, he will move from Stockholm back to Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
I would like to start by thanking Paolo for the impact he has had in supporting the evolution of YME over the past decade. Our marketing operation has been transformed under his direction, with the launch of a new brand strategy, new motorcycle segments such as the MT, and the start of our digital transformation with a new platform designed to both enhance engagement with customers and more effectively support the Yamaha dealer network. His achievements in motorsport have also been significant, with world titles secured in WorldSBK, MXGP and EWC, and the creation of our unique bLU cRU program that supports the next generation of racers. I wish Paolo all the best for the next step in his career, while also looking forward to welcoming back Michael. I am confident that in his new role he will quickly build on what has already been achieved, bringing Marketing and Motorsport operations to the next level.
— Olivier Prévost, President & CEO of Yamaha Motor Europe
