Andy Menzyk, PRIMUS Financial Services president, has named Michel St. Francois vice president of brand management and Canadian operations, and Michael Kuhn vice president of sales and marketing.

Concurrently, Phil Forrest has been named Mazda brand director and Dennis Lassiter has assumed responsibility for the Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover brands.

"PRIMUS is fortunate to have these automotive finance professionals on our team," Menzyk said. "They understand dealers, manufacturers and consumers. With their leadership, we expect PRIMUS to do an even better job of meeting our customers' needs."

Previously Mazda brand vice president, St. Francois built a network of five Mazda regional brand managers to better serve Mazda North American Operations. During his tenure, Mazda American Credit market share increased by more than 20 percent.

Previously, St. Francois served as managing director of Ford Credit France. Prior to that, he was the vice president of PRIMUS Canada. He joined Ford Credit in 1976. In his new position, St. Francois will be based in Franklin, Tenn.

Kuhn assumes responsibility for PRIMUS' marketing and continues his management of products, F&I development, and sales support. Previously, he served as managing director for PRIMUS Europe.

Kuhn began his career with Ford Credit in 1975 and has held a series of increasingly responsible positions, including Tampa, Fla., branch manager and Washington, D.C. region manager. He will continue to be based in Franklin, Tenn.

Forrest will work out of Mazda North American Operations headquarters in Irvine, Calif. Forrest had previously been the Land Rover brand director. Before that, he was the manager of the PRIMUS South Los Angeles branch.

Lassiter has added the Land Rover and Aston Martin brands to his responsibilities. He continues as Jaguar brand director, a position he has held since August 2000. A Jaguar veteran, he joined the company in 1988 and had previously been the general sales manager for Jaguar Cars. He will be based in Irvine, Calif.

About PRIMUS Financial Services

PRIMUS Financial Services has been serving the automotive industry since 1990.

From its headquarters in Franklin, Tenn., and its 38 North American offices, PRIMUS serves more than one million customers and has $20 billion in retail, lease and wholesale receivables.