Honda denies Ito was sacked
Sudden departure of CEO not linked to recall saga and delayed launches, says Honda; new chief to focus on R&DAt a surprise press conference yesterday at Honda’s Tokyo headquarters, Takanobu Ito announced he will step down as CEO immediately, and that Takahiro Hachigo – an R&D executive with experience in the US, Europe and China – will replace him from June.
The sudden nature of the announcement led to speculation that Ito had been ousted from Honda’s top job following a series of operational issues including recalls related to the Takata airbag crisis and delayed model launches.
Quality problems led to recalls of the company’s popular Fit (Jazz) hybrid last year when millions of vehicles were affected by faulty airbag inflators made by Japan’s biggest supplier Takata Corporation. Airbag malfunctions have been linked to six deaths.
However, sources inside Honda have played down suggestions that Ito, 61, had been ousted over the recall debacle.
“He stepped down — he was not fired," one Honda executive told motoring.com.au on the condition of anonymity.
"Yes, Honda has had recalls and one or two models are behind schedule due to these issues, but basically speaking it is the right time for change. It was the right time for Ito to step down. After all, he has been CEO for nearly six years. Takeo Fukui before him was CEO for just under six years.”
Ito's younger successor Hachigo, 55, takes over the reigns of Honda at a critical time for the company, and brings both an engineering background and more international experience.
In addition to debuting a number of concept cars and future technologies at the 2015 Tokyo motor show in October, Honda will have its biggest year in two decades as it launches the follow-up to its lauded original NSX supercar, as well as the new Civic Type-R hot hatch and all-new S660 mini-roadster.
Apart from rejuvenating its sports model range, Honda will also make a historic return to Formula One with McLaren at the Australian Gran Prix next month.
The man Honda has chosen as its new CEO will skip several ranks to take on the top job. Having worked as a senior engineer on the US Odyssey people-mover and CR-V crossover, Hachigo’s promotion will be made official at Honda's annual shareholders' meeting in late June.
He joined the company in 1982 and boasts stints in several countries including the US, UK and China. He is currently vice-president of Honda's R&D arm in China.
So what can we expect from Hachigo? In a brief statement at Monday’s conference, the new CEO said he would refocus efforts on the company’s six major markets (North and South America, Japan, Asia, Africa and Europe), while redefining Honda’s motorcycle, automobile and power products businesses.
The company’s safety and environmental technologies will also go under the microscope as Honda works to put its recalls behind it. Hachigo said he will also ramp up R&D efforts into telematics, including vehicular technologies, road transportation, road safety, sat-nav and multi-media.
He also wants to see more technological feedback to real-world production cars and bikes from the company’s Formula One and MotoGP efforts.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
