Isuzu Philippines Corporation welcomes new president

MANILA, Philippines - Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) officially welcomed its new company president in a turnover ceremony held last week at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. On May 3, Nobuo Izumina officially replaces Ryoji Yamazaki who is moving on as the Managing Director of Isuzu Car Life, an affiliate of Isuzu Motors Limited (IML).

“I will leave my post as IPC president with a satisfaction knowing that the company’s direction is towards the continuous assembly of Isuzu vehicles in the Philippines. I am proud to disclose that, currently, 90 percent of IPC’s products are assembled right at our manufacturing plant in Biñan, Laguna. I believe that by committing to this, local jobs will be preserved and manpower is retained,” said a visibly emotional  Yamazaki. “This commitment is also in line with something that is very important to me; that of promoting domestic automotive manufacturing.”

Izumina takes the helm of IPC at a very opportune time. IPC posted one of its strongest performances during Yamazaki’s three-year tenure. Just last year, IPC celebrated its 150,000th vehicle milestone in time for its 15th inaugural anniversary. In terms of specific models, the Isuzu Crosswind sold 6,244 units, a year-on-year growth of 24 percent, and the model’s best-ever sales record since 2004, meanwhile the Isuzu N-Series light-duty truck continued its class-domination for the 14th-year.  Aside from record sales, Yamazaki expanded the IPC dealer network to 21 dealerships and 15 satellite offices while gaining an ISO 14001:2004 certification for the manufacturing plant, cementing IPC’s Laguna manufacturing plant as truly world-class.

Izumina is vastly experienced, working with IML for 33 years. Starting with the Product Control Department, he eventually made his way up to Manager of the Sales Department handling North America. His foreign experience is varied being appointed as General Manager of the Sales Department handling Europe, Oceania, Central and South America. In 2009, he became the Chairman and CEO of Isuzu Motors Mexico. Prior to his appointment as IPC president, Izumina served as the CEO of General Motors Isuzu in Colombia. Izumina also revealed that his stint at IPC will be last before formally retiring.

“I come to IPC full of optimism not just in the prospects of the company, but also in the potential of the Philippine automotive market. The ASEAN region presently holds dynamic growth opportunities for vehicle manufacturers. And among the markets in the region, the Philippines is in one of the best positions to capitalize on this potential, thanks to the country’s rising economy and the improving purchasing power of the expanding middle class. It is therefore challenging for me to head IPC and to cater to the Philippine market in my first posting in the ASEAN,” said Izumina.

“As I take over the leadership in IPC, my goal is to continuously satisfy our customers by building quality commercial vehicles available in the market today and providing them the best after-sales service. By doing this, IPC will continue to be one of the leading players in the commercial vehicle segment, especially in the area of diesel engine technology,” he added.

Isuzu Philippines Corporation—which is co-owned by Isuzu Motors Limited (35 percent), Mitsubishi Corporation (35 percent), Ayala Corporation (15 percent) and RCBC (15 percent)—boasts a complete line of commercial vehicles and diesel power trains. It currently sells the Alterra SUV, the Crosswind AUV, the D-MAX pickup, the N-Series light-duty truck, the Forward medium-duty truck, the C & E Series heavy-duty truck, and, buses.