The country’s largest automaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Thursday said the company’s board has appointed Hisashi Takeuchi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for a period of three years with effect from April 1, 2022.

The company’s board in its meeting held on Thursday appointed Takeuchi consequent to the completion of the term of Kenichi Ayukawa on March 31, 2022, MSI said in a statement.

Ayukawa, a whole-time director, will be designated as Executive Vice-Chairman for a period of six months with effect from April 1, 2022, till September 30, 2022, to ensure a smooth transition. He joined as Managing Director in 2013.

Takeuchi said “I thank the Board of Directors for placing this trust in me. Maruti Suzuki is a great organization with a rich legacy and it will be my endeavor that we keep serving more and more customers both in India and the world with exciting cars that are good for them, environment and society. We will also try to build our business in a manner that strengthens Atma-Nirbhar Bharat and the economic growth of India”.

Takeuchi is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics, Yokohama National University, Japan. He joined Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) in 1986 and started out in the Overseas Marketing Department, Europe Group of SMC. In 1996, he joined the Overseas Marketing Department, Oceania Group, and was promoted as Director (Marketing and Sales) of Suzuki Australia PTY Ltd in 1997.

Thereafter, he worked at several positions like Deputy Managing Director/Managing Director at Magyar Suzuki Corporation, Department General Manager at Global Automobile Planning Department and India Automobile Department, Divisional General Manager at Global Business Administration & Planning Division etc.

Before joining as Joint Managing Director (Commercial) in Maruti Suzuki India Limited in April 2021, he was working as Managing Officer, Executive General Manager in the Asia Automobile Marketing/India Automobile Department at SMC.