Seiji Watanabe – Corporate Officer and Division General Manager of Design, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
Seiji Watanabe was named Corporate Officer and the head of Design Division for Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in April 2020. He is responsible for bringing to life a new design vision for Mitsubishi Motors rooted in its brand, Drive your Ambition.
Watanabe joined Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 2018 as Executive Design Director, after serving as Program Design Director at Nissan Motor Corporation. During his tenure in Nissan, he took charge of some iconic designs for both Nissan and Infiniti brands such as Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, Infiniti G coupe, Juke, 2015 Titan, Maxima and Infiniti QX50. He also served as Design Director in Nissan Design America from 2011 to 2013. He started his career in Nissan in 1987.
Watanabe is based in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, where one of Mitsubishi Motors’ major manufacturing and R&D facilities are located, and oversees design studios in Tokyo and Okazaki, as well as Frankfurt, Germany. He graduated from Tsukuba University, School of Art and Design in 1987.
Career:
- 2020 (April): Corporate Officer and Division General Manager of Design Division, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
- 2019: Vice President and Assistant Division General Manager of Design Division, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
- 2018: Executive Design Director and General Manager of Product Design Department, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
- 2016: Program Design Director of Infiniti, Global Design Center, Nissan Motor Corporation
- 2013: Design Director, Global Design Center, Nissan Motor Corporation
- 2011: Design Director, Nissan Design America
- 2010: Product Chief Designer, Global Design Center, Nissan Motor Corporation
- 2003: Associate Product Chief Designer, Global Design Center, Nissan Motor Corporation
- 1987: Joined Design Department, Nissan Motor Corporation
About MITSUBISHI MOTORS
MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has a competitive edge in SUVs and pickup trucks, electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Since the Mitsubishi group produced its first car more than a century ago, we have demonstrated an ambitious and often disruptive approach, developing new vehicle genres and pioneering cutting-edge technologies. Deeply rooted in MITSUBISHI MOTORS’ DNA, our brand strategy will appeal to ambitious drivers, willing to challenge conventional wisdom and ready to embrace change.
Consistent with this mindset, MITSUBISHI MOTORS introduced its new brand strategy in 2017, expressed in its “Drive your Ambition” tagline – a combination of personal drive and forward attitude, and a reflection of the constant dialogue between the brand and its customers. Today MITSUBISHI MOTORS is committed to continuous investment in innovative new technologies, attractive design and product development, bringing exciting and authentic new vehicles to customers around the world.
