Honda, like Toyota, plans to have a new president from June.


Takanobu Ito, currently senior managing director, will become the seventh president and CEO of Honda Motor from late June while current incumbent Takeo Fukui will remain on the board and take the post of director and advisor.


Ito joined Honda in 1978 in automobile research and development operations, principally as a chassis design engineer. He took charge of developing the all-aluminium uni-body frame structure for the mid-engine NSX sports car that went on sale in 1990 and also headed development of a series of compact sedans for the Japanese market in the early 1990s.


From April 1998 to March 2000 he was in the US heading Honda R&D Americas where he was involved in the development of the Acura brand’s first sport-utility vehicle, the MDX (which went on sale in the US in October 2000).


Ito joined the Honda Motor board in June 2000 and was also named managing director of Honda R&D, subsequently becoming president and director in June 2003. He was named general manager of Honda’s Suzuka factory in April 2005 and became chief operating officer of automobile operations and a senior managing director in 2007.

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From April 2009, he will again be president and director of Honda R&D, retaining that role after  becoming president & CEO of the entire company in June.


Fukui has been president since June 2003. According to Kyodo News, he said he would make way for Ito to rejuvenate Honda’s management at a time when the automaker is suffering from weak auto sales and the yen’s steep appreciation.


”We are in such a tough time, and particularly because of that, I believe Honda needs to be united under fresh, younger leadership to overcome (the difficulties,)” Fukui said at a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo.


Ito said when he was first asked to become the next Honda president, 47% of his heart felt honoured but the remaining 53% warned him that it would be hard on him. But he finally decided to take the post, viewing the job as worth the work, Ito added.


”My primary responsibility is how to strengthen features, and accelerate the speed,” for launches of other products customers really want [after the successful launch of the cheaper Insight hybrid which drew 10,000 orders in its first 10 days on sales in Japan], Ito said at the same press conference.


“Honda is at its core a fun company, where we hope customers buy cars with the same enjoyment we have in making them. I want to raise motivation so that we have fun again,” Reuters quoted Ito as saying.


Toyota Motor recently named executive vice president Akio Toyoda, a member of the company’s founding family, to president in late June to replace Katsuaki Watanabe.