Keishi Egawa Named Exec. V.P. and Chief Operating Officer for Mazda North American Operations

IRVINE, Calif., March 21 -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced the appointment of Keishi Egawa to the newly created position of executive vice president and chief operating officer of MNAO, effective April 1, 2008.

"Keishi will be a significant addition to my team as we continue to grow our business," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO of MNAO. "The fact that he's an executive officer of Mazda Motor Corporation also demonstrates the importance our parent company places on the North American market."

Keishi Egawa, with over 30 years' service with Mazda Motor Corporation (MC), was previously responsible for Corporate Planning and Financial Services at MC.

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario; in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City; and in Puerto Rico by Mazda de Puerto Rico in San Juan.