Honda 2Wheelers India announces new top management for India

Atsushi Ogata shall be the new President, CEO and Managing Director of HMSI after Minoru Kato.

Honda Motor Co. today announced the new top management in Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI).

Atsushi Ogata will be taking on new responsibility as the President, CEO & Managing Director of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Ogata is also an Operating Executive at Honda Motor Co., Japan.

Ogata shall be the successor of Minoru Kato, who after spearheading Honda’s Indian two-wheeler operations for 3 years, returns to Japan with effect from 1st May 2020; elevated as the Operating Executive & Chief Officer Life creation operation, Honda Motor Co., Japan.

Born in 1962, Ogata started his career in Honda Japan from 1985. In the year 2000, Ogata moved to Europe as the General Manager of Motorcycle Sales Division in Honda Motor Europe (HME) gaining experience in both HME’s northern and southern operation headquarters at Germany and France respectively over the next 6 years.

The next 9 years (2006 – 2015) saw him drive Honda two-wheeler sales in China in 2 of Honda joint-venture companies in the country. After being the general manager in sales division of Sundiro Honda Co., (Shanghai, China) for first 4 years, he later became the President of Wuyang Honda Motor Co., (Guangzhou, China).

Next up in 2015, he returned to Japan as general manager of Motorcycle Operation Office. In 2018, Ogata moved to Asian Honda Motor Co. (Thailand) as the director of Honda’s Regional Operations (Asia & Oceania region) for both motorcycle and power products business and was further elevated to executive director in the same profile in 2019.

With his unparalleled 35 years of rich experience at Honda across Europe, Japan, China and Asia & Oceania, Ogata will be arriving in India and shall be taking over as the new President, CEO and MD of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. and operating executive, Honda Motor Co.

Changes in the Board of Directors:

Entering its 20th year of Indian operations, Honda 2Wheelers India has also further strengthened its Senior Leadership Team to strategically steward the brand towards market leadership in the disruptive future.

As part of this move, V Sridhar (earlier GVP & director – manufacturing, HMSI) is now further elevated as the senior director – Purchase, HMSI. Additionally, Yadvinder Singh Guleria and Vinay Dhingra are now elevated to the board of directors of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India.

Yadvinder Singh Guleria as the new director, HMSI now has greater responsibilities with additional charge of customer service, logistics planning & control, premium motorcycle business, brand & communication along with sales & marketing. Guleria was previously the senior vice – president sales & marketing, HMSI.

Similarly, Vinay Dhingra is also appointed as the new director, HMSI with added responsibility of Strategic Information System (SIS) along with General & Corporate Affairs. A veteran at Honda, Dhingra was previously the Senior Vice-President, General & Corporate Affairs in the company.

Parallely, two directors have retired after completing their respective tenures - Anupam Mohindroo (previously director – purchase, HMSI) and Harbhajan Singh (previously director – general & corporate affairs, HMSI).