Murakami is new Isuzu PH president

MANILA: Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) presented Noboru Murakami as its new president, succeeding Hajime Koso who held the position for seven years.

In a statement, 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 have 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.”

Murakami, the former general manager at Isuzu Motors Limited (IML), will take over as the president of IPC today, May 17. He will be responsible for the company's operations as well as the expansion of its dealer network across the country.

He entered IML in 1995 and was primarily responsible for international sales. Murakami worked for IML Corporate Planning from 2003 to 2011, until being appointed vice president of Isuzu North America Corporation (INAC) in 2014. He was appointed as the executive vice president of INAC in 2016, then president and chief executive officer from 2018 to 2020, before returning to Japan to work as the IML general manager for International Sales.

“I’ve always been intrigued by the market dynamics of the ASEAN region. The Philippines has become one of the (biggest) emerging markets when it comes to automotive, seen in the numerous models being introduced year after year, so it really makes me excited to start working in this country,” Murakami stated.

With his extensive sales and management experience, Murakami plans to keep IPC's long reign as the country's top truck brand. “Being on top puts more challenges on 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 touchpoint, whether for sales or after-sales, will pave our way towards achieving ultimate 'customer success,'” he said.

Aside from maintaining its truck market dominance, IPC also announced that, in honor of its 25th anniversary this year, it is working on developing a more sustainable path.

“As the number-one truck brand, we have an even bigger responsibility to society. For IPC, sustainability is no longer a choice but rather our way forward. We understand that as a social obligation, our company must prioritize protecting the environment without compromising customer success, if we want to continue doing business in the future,” Murakami added. “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 instill to our team members and dealer network starting this year, a shift in mindset and priority towards a ‘Greener’ era for IPC.”

This new strategy, according to IPC, is part of their corporate objective to establish a "Isuzu Kingdom" in the future, where they will provide the greatest business solutions and exceptional after-sales service, and help in the development of society and the environment.

Photo from Isuzu Philippines Corporation

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