Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) president Hajime Koso has handed over the reigns to new IPC top executive Noboru Murakami. Widely known for his excellent humor and bonhomie, Hajime Koso is their longest serving president, his 7 years with IPC seeing him steer the company through the challenges and the wins of this latest third of Isuzu’s 22 years as the country’s top truck brand.
At the turnover ceremony held yesterday at the Okada Manila in Pasay City, Koso said: “It’s been an honor working for Isuzu Philippines for the past seven years. I truly admire the dedication and resilience of the Filipino people, especially our team members in IPC. The last two years has been the most challenging, but we emerged to be stronger with the support of everyone in IPC including our business partners, to which I am truly grateful for.”
Koso leaves IPC for a new posting with Isuzu global management in Japan.
New IPC president Noboru Murakami’s last position before his appointment here was as general manager for mother company Isuzu Motors Limited (IML). He started with IML in 1995, focused initially on international sales, subsequently did corporate planning for eight years from 2003 to 2011, and then joined Isuzu North America where he eventually served as President and CEO from 2018 to 2020. His stint back in Japan during the height of the pandemic’s disruptions was as IML general manager for international sales.
During the turnover ceremony, Murakami acknowledged Koso’s accomplishments, admitting that he has big shoes to fill, and expressed his commitment to holding IPC’s lead in a market that they forecast as showing major growth in the commercial vehicle (CV) and light commercial vehicle (LCV) segments.
Murakami said: “Being on top puts more challenge to us, we cannot be complacent with what we currently offer. As always, our key is to listen to our customers, if there is anything to improve it has to be aligned with our customer’s needs and business requirements. Satisfying these needs at every touchpoints, whether for sales or aftersales will pave our way towards achieving ultimate ‘Customer Success’.”
Murakami also asserted that sustainability is the way forward for IPC. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, IPC is working to get onto an eco-friendly sustainable track.
“As the number one truck brand, we have an even bigger responsibility to the society. For IPC, sustainability is no longer a choice but rather our way forward. We understand that as a social obligation, our company must put priority into protecting the environment without compromising customer success, if we want to continue doing business in the future,” said Murakami.
He explained that the new direction will manifest in their products and services as well as in their mindset: “This movement should not only be reflected in our products but also from within, meaning changes in our values, operations, and the way we do business moving forward. This is something that we want to instil in our team members and dealer network starting this year, a shift in mindset and priority towards a ‘Greener’ era for IPC.”
In their official statement for the presidential turnover, IPC explained that sustainability is integral to their goal of creating an “Isuzu Kingdom” built with their best business solutions, excellent after-sales service, and active efforts to safeguard the welfare of society and the environment.