FRANKLIN, TN — David Reuter, Nissan’s VP of global communications operations, will be leaving the automotive company on Friday after eight years.

Reuter is leaving by choice to pursue other professional interests, according to an internal memo distributed Wednesday afternoon.

There has also been a change in the leadership of Nissan's European communications team. Jesse Verstraete, who has led Nissan's corporate communications in Europe, has been upped to VP of communications for Europe. He replaces Stuart Jackson, who has been in that role since 2015, and is now joining Amazon. 

After joining Nissan in 2010, Reuter spent six years revamping the North American communications operation. Through that transformation, the communications function was duly equipped to support Nissan in the region during a period of significant growth, Sadayuki Hamaguchi, Nissan’s CCO & VP of global communications said in the memo.

Since 2010, he has applied leading Nissan's global communications operations. During that time, Reuter has been responsible for Nissan’s six regional comms teams, and has integrated international communications into a cohesive, integrated function, Hamaguchi said.

Reuter has spent roughly 25 years in the automotive industry. Before joining Nissan, he worked for four years at Bentley Motors as the luxury car company’s head of PR and communications and spent 12 years at Ford before that.

There is no word yet on whether Nissan has launched a search for Reuter’s replacement.