Isuzu Philippines Corp. announced a change in corporate leadership as it welcomes new president Noburo Murakami after Hajime Koso bid farewell after seven years of serving the Philippine operations.
Murakami assumed his role as IPC president on May 17 to oversee domestic operations and development of dealer network nationwide. He previously served as general manager of Isuzu Motors Limited.
“I’ve always been intrigued by the market dynamics of the ASEAN region. The Philippines has become one of the best 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 said.
He extended gratitude to his predecessor for successfully driving Isuzu Philippines as one of the top brands in the Philippines.
“I know I have very big shoes to fill, as Koso san has done numerous milestones during his stay, especially in the past two years, but I am confident that with the support of my colleagues in IPC, we will be able to meet or maybe even surpass the past seven years that we had,” he said.
Murakami joined IML in 1995, in charge of international sales. From 2003 to 2011, he worked under IML corporate planning before his assignment to Isuzu North America Corp. as vice president in 2014.
In a span of two years, he was promoted executive vice president of INAC and later on as company president and chief executive from 2018 to 2020 before moving back to Japan to serve as IML general manager for international sales.
With his long and extensive career both in sales and management, Murakami promises to continue IPC’s dominance in the truck category.
“Being on top puts more challenge to 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 touchpoints, whether for sales or aftersales will pave our way towards achieving ultimate ‘Customer Success,” Murakami said.
Aside from maintaining its leading position in the truck market, IPC also announced that in celebration of its 25th inaugural anniversary this year, the company is working towards a more sustainable path.
“As the number one truck brand, we have an even bigger responsibility to the society. For IPC, sustainability is no longer choice but rather our way forward. We understand that as a social obligation, our company must put priority into protecting the environment without compromising customer success, if we want to continue doing business in the future,” said Murakami.
“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,” he said.
IPC is ushering in sustainability as part of the new growth direction based on the corporate goal to build an ‘Isuzu Kingdom’ in the future, guided by the best business solutions with excellent aftersales service as well as contributing to the welfare of the society and the environment.
Meanwhile, Koso described his seven-year journey in the Philippines as both exhilarating and challenging given the best years of IPC as the top truck company and the bumps during the pandemic.
“This year, as we celebrate another milestone in our history, I am proud be leaving IPC with a 30-percent growth in its dealer network, from 36 outlets in 2015, we now have 48 outlets nationwide, ready to support our growing customer/ base in major provinces nationwide,” he said.
He said the years spent as head of IPC had been an honor for him and a “ride” he will keep close to his heart.
“I truly admire the dedication and resilience of the Filipino people, especially our team members in IPC. The last two years has 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 for,” Koso said.
