Effective from 1st April, 2015, Isuzu Motors India has announced key changes in the management. As per revelations Mr. Naohiro Yamaguchi, General Manager, LCV Sales Project Dept. at Isuzu Japan, shall take over new responsibilities as Managing Director of Isuzu Motors India (IMI) and shall look into overall operations of the company. Mr. Hiroyasu Miura, Executive Officer and Executive in-charge of Manufacturing Engineering Planning Dept, Vehicle Manufacturing and New Business Development at Isuzu Japan, has joined as the Chairman at Isuzu Motors India and shall be responsible for product engineering & development. Whereas, Mr. Taizo Nakahigashi, Senior Vice President at Isuzu Motors India shall take over as the Chief Executive Officer at Isuzu Hicom Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. The fresh appointment is said to be based as per the business plans of the company.
Apart from continuing to be a part-time board member at Isuzu Motors India Mr. Takashi Kikuchi shall also take-over as the President of Isuzu Motors Co., Thailand and shall also assume the role of ‘Senior Executive Officer’ at Isuzu, Japan. Speaking more on the occasion, Mr. Takashi Kikuchi said, “It has been a very interesting journey so far in India and I am very happy that Isuzu Motors India has seized the right opportunity in the market. With the strong focus on quality, Isuzu will make a very interesting impact in the Indian automobile industry. While I shall be taking over a new responsibility, I will be keenly watching the progress at IMI in my capacity as part-time board member of IMI and otherwise. Also, as I shall take-over the charge of Isuzu’s manufacturing plant in Thailand which is the principle manufacturer of Isuzu Pick-up Trucks and SUVs, globally, I look forward to supporting the Indian operations in all ways.”
Mr. Kikuchi has played a vital role in setting up Isuzu Motors India. Since its inception in 2012, he has reportedly successfully driven the initial phase of Isuzu operations in India. While establishing Isuzu in India, Mr. Kikuchi has laid a strong growth path by establishing the current organisation. Under him, the company has successfully established the strength of Isuzu products in key segments and shall continue to provide a new dimension to products in the market in Pick-up and SUV segments. Key achievements by him include the successful tie-up with Hindustan Motors for the assembly of CKDs, fast-progressing construction of the new IMI manufacturing plant at SriCity, in Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Apart from this, he has also been a part of tie-ups with several Component Suppliers towards IMI’s goal of localization and fast expanding dealership network comprising 18 dealership outlets as on date.
Mr. Naohiro Yamaguchi shall utilize his experience in the area of sales operations and strategy in India and shall further accelerate Isuzu’s growth in the country, as it gears up towards its full-fledged operations in India by 2016. In his previous role, Mr. Yamaguchi was responsible for overseas sales operations and business development at Isuzu Motors in Japan, Thailand and Europe. He was one of the key members of the India project team at Isuzu, Japan.
Speaking more on the occasion, Mr. Naohiro Yamaguchi, Managing Director, IMI, said, “It is indeed a very interesting role that I assume in India. Knowing the growing demand for high-quality, Isuzu has the right setting to offer its world-class products to customers in India. Towards this, Isuzu is already well on its way to establishing a strong organization, world-class processes and systems to offer the Indian customer the benefit of high quality. I thank Mr Kikuchi for paving the way for growth and ensuring the set-up of IMI, thus far. I also look forward to taking the same further to establishing the strong brand of Isuzu in India.”
Adding to it, Mr. Hiroyasu Miura, said, “Isuzu is world-renowned for its high quality vehicles owing to a very strong focus on class-leading Production and Quality techniques. The same emphasis will manifest at IMI and customers in India can be very proud of our products. I look forward to my tenure in India and in my role of ensuring the highest quality standards”.
