It's no secret that General Motors' luxury division has seen a fall from grace, but the brand's top executive says that its controversial relocation from Detroit to New York City is paying off. 

Cadillac division president Johan de Nyssychen moved the brand from the General Motors mothership in Detroit to New York in an effort to attract talent from a variety of luxury-focused industries, a change designed to shake things up considerably. When Cadillac moved, it brought with it just 23 employees from Detroit to New York.

de Nysschen is confident the NYC move is paying off and the brand's resurgence is all going according to plan, reports The Detroit News.

“The plan is on track,” he said in an interview with the brand's former hometown paper. 

Although Cadillac sales have remained fairly stagnant, the brand has accomplished a lot since the former Audi and Infiniti executive came on board. Cadillac transaction prices hover above $55,000, $5,000 above industry average. The brand has received the IHS Markit "Most Improved Super Loyalist” award, which represents customers who have purchased a vehicle from the same brand for three years running. Most importantly, Cadillac is a roaring success in China; the brand saw sales climb 92.5 percent during the first quarter of 2017.

2019 Cadillac XT4 spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

2019 Cadillac XT4 spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

2019 Cadillac XT4 spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

2019 Cadillac XT4 spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

2019 Cadillac XT4 spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

2019 Cadillac XT4 spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

Since the move to its new headquarters in the SoHo neighborhood, new hires have been brought in from a variety of different industries including hospitality, aviation, and even banking. Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer, Uwe Ellinghaus, reiterated de Nysschen's feelings.

“It’s working very well,” said Ellinghaus. “I can say that we were able to attract talent from the luxury automotive space as well as the luxury non-automotive space.”

Back in North America, Cadillac is honing its strategy and plans to execute its next phase with the introduction of the Cadillac XT4 early next year. $12 billion has been earmarked for Cadillac's global expansion, which will also fund eight new vehicles by the end of the decade. Count on plenty of crossovers and SUVs, segments Cadillac desperately needs to expand in.