Toyota Motor Phils bares new president

MANILA, Philippines - Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP) officially introduced its new president, Michinobu Sugata, in a turnover ceremony at the New World Hotel Makati. Sugata succeeds Hiroshi Ito who concludes his four-year term as president of the country’s leading automotive manufacturer.

Sugata joined Toyota Motor Corp. (TMC) in 1983 and was initially assigned in Africa Division in-charge of operations in South Africa. In 1993, he obtained his Masters Degree in Business Administration in the United States under the TMC Scholarship Program and was assigned to TMC Accounting Division after completing his study.

He joined TMP in 1997 as head of Comptrollership Division. Following a four-year assignment in TMP, he went back to TMC’s Asia Division. Prior to his appointment as president of TMP, Sugata was with Toyota Motor Thailand for three years, and then with Toyota Motor Asia-Pacific in Singapore for one year, where he was responsible for marketing and sales.

“I am excited to assume the mantle of leadership of the Number One car company in the country, and I feel a great sense of responsibility to sustain Mr. Ito’s achievements,” said Sugata. “As incoming TMP president, I take it as my mission to lead our company in order to meet the expectations of our stakeholders.”

According to Sugata, TMP shall strengthen its market presence in terms of sales and share, as well as accelerate its efforts to push for ever-higher quality in its products and in all aspects of operations to ensure total customer satisfaction. 

“Our passion for excellence shall know no bounds,” emphasized Sugata. “The trust of our customers in our products and services has made TMP the industry leader, so we shall live up to our commitment to uphold their well-being and satisfaction with every Toyota vehicle that we produce or sell.”

“Furthermore, with strong faith in the potential of the Philippines, we shall continue to do our share to help build a strong and vibrant economy. I firmly believe that it is part of TMP’s mission to support the development of society and uplift the lives of Filipinos,” he explained. 

In the same rites, the company also bade farewell to its former president. Hiroshi Ito’s tour of duty has been marked with several significant achievements in all aspects of the company’s operations.

In 2007, TMP reached the 500,000 unit sales milestone, making it the first in the automotive industry in the Philippines to achieve the feat. That same year, TMP was also able to strengthen its passenger car line up with the CKD (completely knocked-down) Vios, now the country’s best-selling passenger car and the front-runner in the sub-compact sedan segment. With the launch of the CKD Vios, production rose significantly. In 2008, TMP became the first in the local auto industry to produce its 400,000 CKD unit, a fitting celebration to mark its 20th year of doing business in the Philippines.  

In 2009, Toyota attained its highest-ever annual sales of 46,193 units of combined Toyota and Lexus models, leading the company to achieve its 600,000 unit sales milestone. Today, it remains the undisputed market leader in the automotive industry, earning the coveted Triple Crown, eight years in a row.