Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) has changed the makeup of its executive structure in July 2018. Under the new configuration, current Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ms Hiroko Yaguchi, will become Managing Director.
Yaguchi san has considerable and broad Isuzu expertise and has led IAL since June 1st, 2017, already demonstrating a significant contribution to the organisation’s future direction and strategic positioning.
Also shifting roles will be current Director and Chief Operating Officer, Phil Taylor, who will assume the new mantle of Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Taylor has been an integral part of the IAL team for over 27 years, starting out in Brisbane before moving to the Melbourne Head Office team 18 years ago.
Mr Taylor’s new role will collaborate closely with all stakeholders, focusing on ensuring IAL continues implementing appropriate business strategies that take advantage of the latest technologies entering the Australian truck market.
Finally, current IAL Director, Sales and Marketing, Andrew Harbison, will take on Mr Taylor’s previous role as Director and Chief Operating Officer.
Mr Harbison’s promotion to Director and Chief Operating Officer reflects a need to maintain the company’s focus on daily operations. He will apply the knowledge gained from 13 years with IAL to overseeing multiple areas of the business, including sales and marketing, product planning and engineering, IT, and the crucial area of after-sales.
“The 2018 Australian Truck market is showing levels of strength and growth unseen since the record market numbers set in 2007,” said Yaguchi san.
“At the same time, the market is being flooded with an unprecedented level of new technologies, including enhanced safety features, electric and autonomous vehicles to name a few.
“Going forward, IAL must maintain its market strength to take advantage of these seismic shifts.”
The refinements at the Director level represent IAL’s bold steps towards meeting the challenges of the new trucking climate.
Isuzu earned its position as Australia’s number one truck for 29 consecutive years through adapting to market changes and enacting relevant, market-leading strategies.
This has enabled IAL to capitalise on the positive customer reaction to reliable trucks for real-world applications.
The new executive developments maintain this focus as the company approaches its third full decade at the top.
“Isuzu’s success in Australia is the product of balancing an understanding of current issues with an eye on future trends,” said Yaguchi san.
“Australia’s trucking landscape faces disruption and change from many different angles, and IAL is responding with a number of new initiatives and an organisational structure that targets our key areas of focus.
“Phil, Andrew and myself are excited to meet these challenges and advance to even greater triumphs that drive our business forwards.”
