'Yasu' Set to Steer Isuzu UTE Australia

EAGLE FARM, AUSTRALIA – Aug 29, 2011: Yasuhiro ‘Yasu’ Takeuchi, 43, is set to take over the reins of Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) from founding managing director Hitoshi Kono within weeks.

Mr Takeuchi moved to Australia late July and since then has familiarized himself with the Australian automotive market alongside outgoing MD Kono, travelling widely visiting dealers, fleet companies and customers as well as industry and government contacts.

“I am very excited to take on this post as Australia is one of the world’s big ute markets and where the Isuzu D-MAX has achieved very good acceptance by Australian buyers in its first three years here,” Mr Takeuchi said.

“My mission is to build on the presence Kono has built up for D-MAX here and to expand IUA with additional capability so it can continue to provide and further enhance its excellent backup and service to our dealers and customers as D-MAX achieves higher sales volumes in the near future.

“It’s also my first time back in Australia since my student backpacking days here and I am enjoying the friendly people and climate and, coming from Japan, this country’s immense size and stark colours again. I’ve also learnt that D-MAX and its competitors are ‘utes’ more than ‘pick-ups’!” Mr Takeuchi said.

Prior to his arrival here, Mr Takeuchi was stationed in Tokyo in Mitsubishi Corporation’s (MC) Isuzu Business Division as Deputy General Manager and Divisional Strategy Planning Team Leader since December 2009. There he was heavily involved in Isuzu’s business facilities in Thailand where the D-MAX is built, as are almost all Japanese-design utes.

Prior to that, 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 and other defence-related systems.

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.

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 over 80— 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 12,500 since launch in Australia in October 2008, 5114 of which were sold last year.

Last May’s 624 sales was D-MAX’s best monthly sales tally to date.

Nearly 80 per cent of all D-MAXs sold are 4x4s and the most popular variant in the 10-model range is the highest series LS-U 4x4 crew ute.