Mazda Europe PR Director Neil Warrior among the victims of Air France 447
After search and rescue workers found only debris from Air France 447, reports increasingly doubt the possibility that there will be any survivors from the Rio-to-Paris flight that went missing Sunday over the Atlantic. Among the lives believed to be lost is Neil Stuart Warrior, director of public relations for Mazda's European division.Warrior was born on April 13, 1961, in Hillingdon, England. Over the course of his career, he worked in the PR departments at Fiat and Alfa Romeo before moving over to SAP, where he ascended to head the business-tech giant's marketing and communications at the young age of 35, before moving into his position at Mazda Motor Europe two years ago.
As closely as automakers' various public relations officers work with members of the media on the reporting end, Neil's loss hits particularly close to home. A memorial service is scheduled for June 8 at 6pm in Cologne, Germany. Our condolences go out to Warrior's surviving father, sister and brother.
Official press release after the jump.
[Source: Mazda]
PRESS RELEASE:
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – June 3, 2009: Mazda Motor Europe has confirmed that Neil Stuart Warrior, Director of Public Relations, was a passenger on Air France flight 447 from Rio to Paris. Mr. Warrior's death has not been officially confirmed, but yesterday parts of the Airbus were recovered in the Atlantic Ocean and it is unlikely that there were any survivors.
"Our entire company is shocked and saddened by this terrible news," said Jeff Guyton, President and CEO of Mazda Motor Europe. "It simply isn't enough to say Neil will be sorely missed. This loss goes deeper than that, because someone like Neil cannot be replaced. He was a warm, kind and fun person who will never be forgotten by those who knew him. Our hearts go out to his father, sister and brother. We want them to know that it was a privilege to have had Neil as our colleague and friend."
Neil Warrior was born on 13 April 1961 in Hillingdon, England, and was university educated. He worked in automotive public relations at the start of his career with jobs at Fiat and Alfa Romeo. When he was just 35, he was appointed Communications Manager at SAP-UK in 1997, and after management jobs in Germany and the USA, was named Director of Marketing and Communications for SAP's European organisation in 2003. He joined Mazda Motor Europe as PR Director in 2007, where he was responsible for product communications. A memorial service for Neil Warrior is planned for Monday 8 June 2009 at 18:00 in Cologne, Germany.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
13enS 5:47PM (6/03/2009)
The story just keeps getting sadder by the day.
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ricardopbarros 5:53PM (6/03/2009)
Well, I live in São Paulo and can say how depressed brazilians are. This is a tragedy of which we will always remember. my condolences go out also to the relatives and friends of all who died.
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ropeburn 6:14PM (6/03/2009)
condolences
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Franz 6:22PM (6/03/2009)
What a tragedy this whole thing is... my condolences to family & friends of those lost. It's going to be a monumental undertaking, but I do hope they find the FDRs. At least it'll help figure out what went wrong so they can take steps to ensure it doesn't happen again in the future.
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Juggernaut 6:33PM (6/03/2009)
And another Warrior was fallen..... Sadness for all the people lost.
and now... onto the schools to get the children who can produce the unbreakable system...
Get your kids interested in science ppl!!!
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TigerMil 7:10PM (6/03/2009)
Interesting that nobody or agency (No Such Agency) has speculated on terrorism or internal explosion that could have resulted in loss of cabin pressure as reported. Guess since Cheney went away so did paranoia.
You're not paranoid if they really are out to get you.
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Seminole 7:47PM (6/03/2009)
Maybe the fact the plane was flying in reported 100mph winds was the cause, not terrorism. Way to bring politics into an article where it didn't need to be.
I wish Mr. Warrior's family, and all the other victims families, the best.
CEMan 9:01PM (6/03/2009)
Having just read the latest on automated messages coming from the plane, I do not even want to imagine the horror of being in a plane the breaks apart at altitude.
My deepest condolences to all the families, friends & coworkers of everyone on the flight.
God's Speed.
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JC 11:40PM (6/03/2009)
My greatest condolences to his family and all those people on that plane. Tragedies like this are always reminders how fragile life is.
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Ronman 1:54AM (6/04/2009)
May he rest in Automotive heaven's peace where internal combustion has no affect on the environment and cars never crash.
My feelings on this crash are very strong, i was on the same flight not long ago, my condolences to his family, Mazda staffers and all those who were close to the victim....
Rest in Peace Neil
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DRFS Rich 10:26AM (6/04/2009)
... And everyone rides around in '93 RX-7 TTs.
- R
Avinash machado 6:03AM (6/04/2009)
My condolences. RIP Neil.
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Deano 1:43AM (6/09/2009)
Rest in peace Neil from an old school friend. St Martins and Harefield
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Nishi 11:35AM (6/29/2009)
It's extremely sad for all the families involved in this tragedy. You realize that each of these people had a life that's now gone, and knowing one of them was a auto industry exec hits close to home for all of us that love cars.
http://www.limousine-stretch.com/
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L Blinn 10:38PM (7/11/2009)
This is too sad - my Ma told me of this news today I didn't know who the victims were. Neil and I were friends in Harefield Primary School. I went to evening classes with his Mum years ago - a lovely lady. I tried to get in touch with Neil through Friends Reunited a while back but he didn't respond. I'm feeling the pain of his family. I hope you found your Mum up there Neil - RIP.
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