Suzuki Motor Corp. announced Monday that Masafumi (Mark) Harano has been appointed president, automotive operations of American Suzuki Motor Corp. (AMSC) in Brea, Calif., effective May 1, 2007.
Harano, 43, comes to American Suzuki from Suzuki Canada, Inc. where he has served as president for the past three years.
Concurrent with Harano's move to the U.S., Koichi Suzuki, currently president of American Suzuki Automotive Operations, will return to the company’s headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan, where he will oversee Suzuki’s North American marketing department.
“I am proud that our sales showed double-digit increases for each of the last three years, and that we set a new sales record of over 100,000 units last year. These accomplishments are due in large part to the efforts of our American Suzuki team and a string of successful new products,” said Suzuki. “With more outstanding products on the horizon, I am confident that Mark’s leadership will allow American Suzuki to build upon its sales momentum and continue Suzuki’s success in the U.S.”
Harano began his automotive career with Suzuki upon graduating from the Kobe City University in 1988. He has been responsible for Suzuki’s overseas automobile marketing in Southeast Asia and North America, as well as the company’s auto product planning department in Hamamatsu, Japan. Harano served as assistant to the the American Suzuki's vice president of automotive sales and marketing for six years from 1993 to 1998 before moving to Canada.
