- Expertise: Research, development, engineering and technology
- Location: Nissan Technical Centre Europe, Cranfield, UK
- Languages spoken: English and Japanese (conversational)
- DOB: 18 January 1967
Who is Matthew Ewing?
As Vice President of Vehicle Engineering for Nissan in Europe, Matthew oversees engineering teams at NTCE, which manages the development and lifecycle of all Nissan models produced in Europe and Russia across multiple plants. Matthew’s responsibilities include future planning for the next generation of European Nissan models and selecting local suppliers for vehicle components.
With oversight of several teams based in the UK, Spain and Russia, Matthew leads teams responsible for body, chassis, interior and electrical engineering, including vehicle performance and safety.
Career History
As part of an industrial placement for his undergraduate studies at Newcastle Polytechnic (now known as Northumbria University), Matthew first joined Nissan in 1988, supporting the Product Development Team. Upon graduation, he returned to Nissan as a graduate engineer in the testing team responsible for ergonomics and interior components.
After working across safety system testing and seat design, Matthew was promoted to Manager in 2000 and sent on assignment to Nissan’s global technical centre in Japan, where he was responsible for the European engineer team developing the Pathfinder SUV and Navara pick-up launched in 2003.
In 2005, Matthew was appointed Manager of the newly-created Quality Engineering Function, focused on accelerating quality improvement of future vehicles and implement improvements in current models. Following a promotion to Director for Quality Engineering and Vehicle Performance Planning in 2008, Matthew took on responsibility of the Interior Engineering Department. In 2012, he oversaw the team that developed the Qashqai’s interior at NTCE in Cranfield before taking on the role of Assistant Chief Vehicle Engineer for the Infiniti Q30 in 2014.
A Nissan veteran with experience across R&D and engineering, Matthew was appointed to his current role as Vice President for Vehicle Engineering in 2018.
Achievements
Matthew is proud of the high improvement in quality – validated by internal data – that his teams have helped drive at Nissan over the last 10 to 15 years. He is particularly proud of his contribution to the development of the Qashqai’s interior, which represented a significant step forward from the previous model.
Personal Memory
Looking back on his twenty-year tenure with Nissan, Matthew is particularly fond of the time he spent on assignment in Japan in the Alliance’s early days. It was a period of transformation for the company, which was interesting to observe and helped solidify Matthew’s understanding of how Nissan works. Matthew also credits this time with highlighting the importance of team collaboration to find the best solution quickly and implement it effectively.
Future Predictions
Due to technological innovation, namely around the electrification of vehicles and enhanced driver assistance, Matthew expects dramatic change to come to the automotive industry. Though how cars are powered and used is likely to fundamentally alter, Matthew believes that certain features deemed important today will remain important in the future. For instance, attractive interiors and demonstrated performance will keep their market appeal.
Education
Northumbria University – MEng (1986-1990)
In Matthew’s Personal Time
Matthew enjoys spending time with his family, going on walks and attending classic car events, especially cars from the 1950s to 1970s.
Your current car
Matthew currently drives a Nissan Qashqai.
Your first car
Mathew’s first car was a Ford Escort.