New MD For Isuzu UTE Australia

EAGLE FARM, AUSTRALIA – June 29, 2011: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, 43, will replace Hitoshi Kono as Managing Director of Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) from mid September.

Currently stationed in Tokyo in Mitsubishi Corporation’s (MC) Isuzu Business Division, Mr Takeuchi has been Deputy General Manager and Divisional Strategy Planning Team Leader since December 2009.

Prior to his current position, Mr Takeuchi held positions in Electronic Systems and Integrated Defence Systems within MC’s Aerospace Division as supplier to the Japanese government’s defence establishment, where his specialities included aircraft, airborne equipment, missile and other defence-related equipment and systems business.

Mr Takeuchi holds a masters degree in Aeronautics from Tokyo University’s Graduate School of Engineering. He is married with two sons, likes to play golf when time permits and as a hands-on technical type, likes to mess with machines. He maintained his own car for over 15 years into which he integrated a high level audio entertainment/satnav system relatively recently. He will start at IUA late in July familiarizing with the Australian market with outgoing MD Hitoshi Kono.

Hitoshi Kono, 51, set up IUA with deputy MD Takeshi Kasahara in January 2008 to import and distribute the Isuzu D-MAX in Australia from October that year.

Mr Kono played the major role in appointing the initial national network of Isuzu UTE dealers — which now number 81— and more recently has led IUA into the larger fleet, leasing, government and mining vehicle supply business. He will move to MC head office in Tokyo where he will be briefed on his next assignment.

Isuzu D-MAX ute sales have steadily increased to over 11,000 since launch in Australia in October 2008, 5114 of which were sold last year and May’s 624 sales set a new monthly record for the brand.