Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd (IMSB) has announced the appointment of Koji Nakamura as its new Chief Executive Officer. Nakamura-san officially assumed the position on 26 October 2017, succeeding Kenji Matsuoka who has been Isuzu Malaysia CEO since 2015. He will oversee all operational aspects, including sales, after-sales and finance.
Exiting CEO, Kenji Matsuoka, said, “Koji Nakamura has years of extensive experience, which include strategic planning, sales and operations, in addition to helming diverse leadership roles in the competitive automotive industry. I am delighted that I will be passing over the reins to someone with such excellent aptitude, high optimism and fresh perspective to lead this organisation”.
During Matsuoka-san’s term, Isuzu Malaysia saw great improvements, including a rise to 6th position (from 7th) in the list of Malaysia’s top automotive company by volume. Under his direction, Isuzu successfully maintained its position as the No. 1 preferred truck brand in Malaysia. The Isuzu D-Max’s market share also saw a positive improvement of 3.8%, from 10.9% to 14.7%, in the past year. “Throughout my tenure at Isuzu Malaysia, the company has experienced immense growth for which I am tremendously proud of,” Matsuoka said. Recently, Isuzu Malaysia introduced its flagship Isuzu Service Center in Shah Alam despite the market’s current challenging climate. “There are always opportunities to grow the business in any economic climate. I believe that my team is capable in realising our vision and subsequent growth in the coming years. My task at hand is to focus on improving our operational best practices, as well as intensifying vehicle sales”, he added.
The dynamics of the current Malaysian automotive scene is set to pose a welcome challenge for Koji Nakamura who has over 25 years’ experience, including a leading management role in Isuzu Asia Pacific. Furthermore, he has extensive knowledge and understanding in managing various markets, with experience in large automotive markets like India and Thailand.
Aiding Nakamura-san will be Mikio Tsukui, COO for Commercial Vehicle Division, and also Masayuki Suzuki, COO for Light Commercial Vehicle Division. “I am very excited to take up this new challenge. I have been privileged to manage automotive business units on a global scale, and I will do my very best to bring Isuzu Malaysia to the next level in the local automotive industry”, he said.
Autoworld welcomes Nakamura-san, Tsukui-san and Suzuki-san to Malaysia.
Keyword: Koji Nakamura Is New Isuzu Malaysia Chief Executive