Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) have announced management changes to continue shaping the brand’s future which includes the appointment of its first female director Ms Reiko Sato.
A chartered certified practicing accountant (CPA) by trade, Sato has an extensive accounting and administration background and joined the IUA family in October 2021, as the deputy managing director directly responsible for finance and accounting, information technology, administration, and human resources.
Sato replaced Mr Takuji Ozawa, who returned to Japan to take up a new role within Mitsubishi Corporation.
Under Ozawa’s two and a half-year leadership, IUA has expanded and improved its internal operations; commissioning a heavily-renovated head office in Brisbane, Queensland and introduced new systems and procedures—improving internal processes and contributing to the company’s wider success.
After close to seven years of service at IUA, deputy general manager of product planning, Mr. Takeshi (Ima) Imanari, has returned to Japan, with Mr. Kenichi (Ken) Kudo assuming his role. An integral part of the product development of the All-New MU-X and new D-Max; Imanari contributed significantly to the constant model improvements that drove IUA’s growth over the years.
Responsible for sales and marketing planning for the past five years at Isuzu Motors International Thailand (IMIT) and with an extensive background in automotive, Kudo has picked up where Imanari left off, and will assume the task of continuing to develop the D-Max and MU-X to meet the needs of the ever-evolving Australian automotive market.
“This announcement will see two fundamental decision makers responsible for much of the IUA’s growth over the past few years return home, to Japan, with their replacements set to bring in a fresh perspective, along with years of experience from overseas markets to help develop our operations here in Australia,” IUA managing director Hiroyasu Sato says.
“We are indebted to Mr Ozawa and Mr Imanari for their service and commitment to the brand over the years and we are excited to welcome Mr Kudo and our first female Director, Ms Sato to the IUA family,” he says.
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