Katsushi Inoue is Honda Cars India’s new president & CEO

Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) has appointed Katsushi Inoue as its new president and CEO. He takes over on April 1, 2015 from Hironori Kanayama who has retired from the company, and now moves back to Japan.

During Kanayama’s three years at the helm of the India operations, Honda forayed into the diesel segment in India with the launch of the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine. HCIL launches include the Amaze, Mobilio and the fourth-generation Honda City.  During his tenure, Honda also started assembly operations at its Tapukara plant in Rajasthan for which it has also announced an expansion slated to begin in 2016.

A Honda veteran, Katsushi Inoue, who has been associated with Honda Motor Co for over 29 years, has been general manager in the marketing planning office at the Japan headquarters in his last assignment. He worked with Honda in several locations including Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, UK, Poland and Germany.

Honda also announced other management changes: Hiroyuki Shimizu will be the new senior vice-president and director, marketing & sales. Mr Shimizu takes over from Shigeru Yamazaki, the current senior VP and director (marketing & sales), who has held the position since April 2012. He has been associated with Honda for over 25 years and in his last assignment, served as director and vice-president in Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Shimizu started his professional career with Honda in 1990. Yamazaki goes to Japan and will be responsible for Automobile Operations Business Planning in Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, managing officer, Honda Motor Co (above left and seen with Shigeru Yamazaki), who was the Representative of Development, Purchasing and Production in Asia & Oceania since April 2013 and was stationed in India, moves to Japan after completing his tenure. He takes over as COO of the Automobile Operation at Honda Motor Co.

Autocar Professional had chosen Matsumoto as its Man of the Year 2014. Matsumoto is to be elevated as director on Honda’s board with the title of senior managing officer and director after approval at the general meeting of shareholders slated for June 2015.

Read more about Autocar Professional's Man of the Year 2014: Yoshiyuki Matsumoto

Also read how Honda plans to expand its two-wheeler and car plant capacity in India