New Honda CEO Outlines His Vision for the Company

Today, Honda Motor Company’s new CEO, Takahiro Hachigo, unveiled his future vision for the company. He highlighted two themes that the new ‘Team Honda’ will pursue:

1. Advancement of the six-region global operation structure
2. Continuous development of challenging products unique to Honda and delivering them to customers around the world

To demonstrate the advancement of the six-region structure, operational functions of the global headquarters will be enhanced, to strongly promote mutually complimentary inter-regional relationships. For example, the all-new European produced Civic Type R will now be exported to Japan from this autumn and the next generation Civic 5-door will be supplied from Europe to other regions. Whereas the next generation CR-V will be supplied from Canada to Europe.

Furthermore, Honda will begin local production of the Honda Accord this month in Nigeria (with planned annual production capacity of 1,000 units.). This is the first time Honda will assemble automobiles in Africa.

Hachigo stated that ‘Honda will continue to be firmly committed to the creation of ‘challenging products’ unique to Honda’. This renewed commitment will see Honda strive to begin sales in Japan of the next-generation successor to the FCX Clarity before the end of Honda’s current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2016). In addition, Honda will be evolving the next generation of mobility products to use electricity as a core technology.

In the area of motorcycles, the CRF1000L, also known as the Africa Twin, is scheduled to be introduced to the European market at the end of 2015. This is the embodiment of a ‘challenging product’ that is unique to Honda.

Honda has also been continuing its research and development of a Walking Assist Device which supports people with weakened leg strength. Hachigo asserted that Honda is striving to commercialise this product before the end of this year.

Finally, under Hachigo’s guidance, Honda will realise a 30 year-long dream by taking mobility to the skies through the first customer deliveries of Honda’s unique HF120 jet engine and the new light business aircraft, the HondaJet, featuring its revolutionary over-the-wing jet engines.

These Honda’s products have always been generated “at the spot.” Honda’s strength is that team/project members share one goal and take on challenges and attain high targets. Hachigo has stated that his role is to further strengthen this bottom-up environment where teams “at the spot” can take action based on their own initiatives.

Hachigo concluded, ‘what drives me forwards with my fellow Honda associates is The Power of Dreams. Driven by The Power of Dreams, Team Honda will keep moving forward with the goal to share joys with customers all around the world’

-ENDS-

For further information on the CEO speech contents, please visit http://www.hondanews.info/en/