Follow Us on Google
BY MOSES AKAIGWE
Following the purchase of Isuzu-related assets from General Motors South Africa with effect from January, 2018, Isuzu Motors South Africa has announced a number of key leadership appointments subject to various regulatory approvals.
In one of the top appointments, Haruyasu Tanishige, in addition to his current role of Senior Executive officer for the Sales Division of Isuzu Motors in Japan, will take the position of Chairman of Isuzu Motors South Africa. He will continue to be based in Tokyo at Isuzu’s headquarters.
With immediate effect Michael Sacke, currently CFO for GM South Africa, will be appointed as Chief Operations Officer and CFO to assume responsibility for the transition of GM South Africa’s operations to Isuzu Motors by year-end and also to ensure the integration of the Isuzu truck and light commercial businesses.
The company also announced in a separate statement, the formation of an eight-man Executive Committee, including Denise van Huyssteen (Executive Corporate Affairs). Van Huyssteen currently serves in the role of General Manager Communications and PR for General Motors’ operations in Africa and the Middle East.
In her new role for Isuzu, she will assume responsibility for Corporate Affairs, incorporating internal and external communications, as well as government relations.
The new leadership will, among other things, ensure that production quality is not compromised during the reorganisation process. In this regard, the assembly lines at the Struandale plant in Port Elizabeth, which supplies vehicles to the Nigerian market through Koncept Autocentre Limited on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos, have been consolidated into a single platform supporting Isuzu light commercial vehicle assembly.
Isuzu Motors Limited recently announced its intention to purchase the General Motors (GM) plant in South Africa as well as GM’s 30 percent shareholding in Isuzu Trucks South Africa. Under the Isuzu brand, the company continues to produce the legendary Isuzu pick-ups at its Struandale plant, as well as medium and heavy duty trucks at the Kempston Road plant.
Isuzu has a strong heritage in South Africa, having produced pick-ups there for almost 40 years. Ditto for Nigeria, where the brand is among the front-runners in the light trucks market.
