- Position: Managing Director, Nissan Oceania
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Languages Spoken: English, French
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Steve Milette was appointed Managing Director of Nissan Oceania in 2026, bringing more than 25 years of automotive leadership experience to Nissan’s operations across Australia and New Zealand. He is responsible for the region's overall business performance, connecting Nissan’s global strategy with local market, dealer and customer priorities.
With the automotive industry evolving rapidly, Steve is focused on ensuring Nissan Oceania continues to adapt to changing customer expectations, an increasingly diverse competitive landscape, and evolving vehicle standards.
Prior to his appointment in Oceania, Steve served as President of Nissan Canada, where he led the business through a multi-year transformation focused on strengthening business performance, dealer engagement, customer experience and organisational culture. He has also held senior leadership positions across sales, marketing, aftersales and customer experience at Nissan Canada, Hyundai Auto Canada, Bombardier Transportation and General Motors.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Advancing business performance, dealer engagement and customer experience at Nissan Canada.
- Building high-performing teams and enhancing workplace culture at Nissan Canada, recognised through Great Place to Work certification.
- Strengthening collaboration between Nissan and Nissan Finance Services to support portfolio growth and business performance.
LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
Steve's leadership approach is grounded in the belief that strong employee and dealer experiences are fundamental to delivering an exceptional customer experience. He focuses on bringing people together around shared priorities, breaking down silos and leveraging collective strengths, while using data to inform decisions and empower teams to move with speed.
BEHIND THE TITLE
Outside of work, Steve enjoys ice hockey, road cycling, golf and pickleball. He is a country music fan, enjoys podcasts and audiobooks, and is passionate about mentoring and learning from others. Steve and his wife also enjoy travelling and exploring new destinations across Oceania.
HISTORY
- 2026–Present: Managing Director, Nissan Oceania
- Responsible for leading Nissan’s operations across Oceania
- Previous roles:
- 2024–2026: Division Vice President, Dealer Network Development, Consumer Resources, Training, E-commerce & Customer Experience, Nissan North America
- 2019–2024: President, Nissan Canada
- 2017–2019: Vice President, Sales, Nissan Canada
- 2014–2017: Director of Sales, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp
- 2012–2014: Director, Sales and Business Development, Bombardier Transportation
- 1996–2012: Held progressively senior leadership roles across sales, service, marketing and commercial operations at General Motors, including National Director, Fleet and Commercial Sales
EDUCATION
- 2023: Wharton Exec Management Programme – Wharton Executive Education, US & Japan
- 2010–2011: MBA – Université Paris Dauphine – PSL, France (Executive MBA)
- 2009–2011: MBA – Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Canada (Dual degree with Université Paris Dauphine – PSL, France)
- 1992–1996: Bachelor's degree, Mechanical Engineering – McGill University, Canada
- 1990–1992: Pure and Applied Sciences – Dawson College, Canada