AISIN Corporation, a top 10, global Tier One supplier of automotive components and systems, today announced several changes to its executive team as the company merges three non-manufacturing businesses in North America. Specifically, AISIN Holdings of America and AISIN Technical Center of America (ATCA) will be consolidated and merge with AISIN World Corp. of America (AWA). The announcement was made by Scott Turpin, president & COO, AWA, who said the changes are effective immediately.
“AISIN is in a position of strength and leadership as a top 10, global Tier One auto supplier,” said Turpin. “To maintain our position and best support our longstanding relationships with our customers and suppliers, we carefully considered how to best advance our competitiveness and took the necessary steps to ensure continued growth in North America, while maintaining excellence in manufacturing and service. To achieve our objectives, we’ve transitioned to a more flexible and robust management system enabling our leadership team to forecast and respond accurately and quickly to changing markets and demands.”
Executive leadership of AWA’s new organization includes Kazuto Koyama, CEO; Scott Turpin, president & COO; and Takeo Kusumoto, secretary-treasurer. Among the structural changes is the addition of four new divisions, which will be led by a highly skilled and experienced executive team:
- Business Management Division
Headed by Chuck Sanders, executive vice president; former EVP, AWA purchasing, joined AISIN in 1994; responsible for Quality, Purchasing, Sales & Marketing, Business Administration and Corporate Communications/External Affairs.
- Operations Division
Headed by Scott Shade, executive vice president; former president, AISIN Drivetrain, Inc., joined AISIN in 1998; responsible for Production Control, Production Engineering, Training, Carbon Neutrality and North American Manufacturing Facilities Support.
- Product Development Center Division
Headed by Shin Sasaki, executive vice president; former president, ATCA, joined AISIN in 1993; responsible for Vehicle Systems, Powertrain, Open Innovation, R & D management, and Location-based Solutions.
- Administration Division
Headed by Takayuki Kimura, executive vice president; former senior vice president, AWA, joined AISIN in 2006; responsible for Corporate Planning & Finance, Human Resources, General Administration/EHS, DX, Legal, and Audit.
While the structural developments are intended to strengthen AISIN’s business operations in North America, Turpin noted that they are internal and expected to be seamless to customers and suppliers.