Honda today announced several key executive changes
effective April 1, 2013, that reflect the increased and evolving responsibilities that the Honda
North American Regional Operations have assumed within Honda's global business.
- Tetsuo Iwamura will remain as president of Honda North America, Inc. (HNA), COO of
North American Regional Operations and president and CEO of American Honda Motor
Co., Inc. Iwamura, who serves concurrently as the executive vice president, executive
officer and representative director of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., will add new responsibilities
as the COO of Automobile Operations and risk management officer for Honda Motor Co.,
Ltd.
- Hidenobu Iwata will become president of Honda North America Services, LLC (HNAS), a
new shared services company to be established effective April 1, 2013. Iwata will remain
in his current positions as president of Honda of America Mfg., Inc. (HAM) and senior
managing officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Bob Nelson will become president of Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) in
Greensburg, Ind. Nelson is currently a senior vice president at HMIN and has been with
Honda for 25 years, including 23 years with Honda of America Mfg., Inc. in Ohio.
- Jon Minto will become president of Honda Engineering North America, Inc. (EGA),
Honda's production engineering company in North America. Minto is currently a senior
vice president with EGA, which is based in Marysville, Ohio, and has been with Honda for
more than 20 years, including at Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM)
- Dan Smith will become president of Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) in Alliston, Ontario, a
division of Honda Canada Inc. (HCI). Smith is currently a senior vice president at HCM
and has been with Honda for 28 years, including 26 years with Honda of America Mfg.,
Inc. and Honda Engineering North America, Inc. in Ohio.
- Jerry Chenkin will become president and CEO of Honda Canada Inc. (HCI) in Markham,
Ontario, outside Toronto. Chenkin, currently executive vice president of HCI, has been
with Honda for 38 years.
In conjunction with these executive appointments, Honda will strengthen the leadership
function of its North American regional operations under HNA and HNAS to enhance the ability
to deliver high quality products to the customer more quickly and efficiently.
The changes will help achieve this through more efficient management and quicker decision
making, and by merging some of the support functions common to multiple Honda companies
in North America under one roof. Both HNA's leadership function and HNAS will be located on
Honda's Marysville, Ohio, campus.
In 2012, Honda outlined key strategies that increased the role played by Honda's sales,
manufacturing and R&D operations in North America within Honda's global business. The
changes announced today are the next step in this direction.
"These organizational changes will improve the speed of decision-making and the
efficiency of our business operations," said Tetsuo Iwamura, chief operating officer of Honda's
North American Regional Operations, which includes the U.S, Canada and Mexico. "Our global
customers desire new, exciting and affordable automobile, motorcycle and power equipment
products, and these changes will enhance our ability to quickly bring our customers' dreams to
the market."
Since its founding in 1987, HNA has served as a coordinating entity for such operations
as legal services, corporate audit and risk management. In its evolving role, HNA will house
several members of senior executive management responsible for strategic oversight over
North American sales, manufacturing and R&D for the company's product lines. HNA has
offices in Torrance, Calif., Marysville, Ohio, Detroit, Mich., New York, NY and Washington, D.C.
HNAS, the new shared services company, will be based in Marysville, Ohio, with an
additional office in Torrance, Calif. HNAS will provide many of Honda's common support
functions in North America, and streamline coordination of Honda's R&D, manufacturing,
purchasing and sales functions as they relate to the introduction of new products.
Most Honda associates (employees) assigned to these entities will be located on the
Marysville campus in Ohio, but others will remain at other facilities throughout North America.
Current Ohio-based associates will remain in Ohio. It is anticipated that fewer than 50
associates involved in support and strategic functions at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in
Torrance, Calif., will transfer to HNA and HNAS over the course of the next fiscal year
beginning April 1, 2013. The formation of HNAS and changes to HNA are not expected to
result in additional employment.
About Honda
Honda established operations in America in 1959, and now employs more than 33,000
associates in its North American sales, R&D and manufacturing operations with a capital
investment of more than $22 billion.
Based on its longstanding commitment to "build products close to the customer" Honda
operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda
and Acura automobiles, automobile engines and transmissions, Honda all-terrain vehicles, and
power equipment products such as lawn mowers, mini-tillers and general purpose engines,
using domestic and globally sourced parts.
Seven Honda auto plants in the North American region, including four in the U.S., have the
capacity to produce 1.63 million automobiles each year. In 2012, 90 percent of the Honda and
Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were produced in North America. This will increase to 1.92
million vehicles per year in 2014, when the sales percentage of locally produced automobiles is
expected to rise to more than 95 percent.
Honda R&D Americas, Inc., (HRA) operates 14 facilities in North America and is responsible
for "complete product creation," of advanced automobile, powersports and power equipment
products and technologies. Since 1990, HRA has researched, designed and developed more
than 20 all-new automobile models.
Honda media contacts:
Jeffrey Smith, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (310) 781-5062 Jeffrey_Smith@ahm.honda.com
Ron Lietzke, Honda of America, Mfg., Inc., (937) 644-6627, ron_lietzke@ham.honda.com
Connect to Honda:
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Honda of America Mfg., Inc. (Press Room): www.ohio.honda.com
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Source:
http://hondanews.com/releases/e48c417b-0f87-4f8f-941a-958cdfd736c6
