Air France crash claims Mazda Europe PR

MAZDA Motor Europe has been rocked by news that its public relations director, Neil Warrior, is missing and presumed dead in the Air France airliner crash that claimed 228 lives on Tuesday.

The German-based distributor announced the tragedy today, saying Mr Warrior, 47, had been aboard the Airbus 330 Flight 447 when it went missing in mysterious circumstances in a storm over the Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio to Paris.

Brazilian military planes have located debris and a fuel slick in the area of the presumed crash, but no survivors.

Mazda Motor Europe president and CEO Jeff Guyton said the entire company had been saddened and shocked by the terrible news.

“It simply isn’t enough to say Neil will be sorely missed,” he said.

“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.”

Although none of the passengers have been officially confirmed dead, a memorial service will be held for Mr Warrior on Monday in Cologne, near Mazda’s European headquarters at Leverkusen, on the Rhine River.

Mazda said English-born Mr Warrior had worked for the company since 2007.

He had started his public relations career with Fiat and Alfa Romeo in the UK before being appointed communications manager at computer software company SAP-UK in 1997. After management jobs in Germany and the US, he 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.