Honda Insider Will Guide Company Through Airbag Crisis

This week Takahiro Hachigo will take over as president and CEO of Honda Motor Co. His primary mandate will be to put the company's quality and recall problems behind it. The appointment was announced in February.

Hachigo, 56, succeeds Takanobu Ito, 61, who has served as president and chief operating officer for six years. Ito guided the company through the global recession and Japan's earthquake and tsunami.

But Ito also has been attacked for a low-cost strategy that critics say contributed to multiple recalls of Honda's popular Fit minicar. He also has grappled with the company's expanding recalls of some 20 million vehicles equipped with Takata Corp airbag inflators that can burst when activated.

Like all his predecessors, Hachigo comes from within the company. He oversaw Honda R&D Co. and later held executive positions in purchasing, managed the Suzuka factory, directed European operations and headed the company's purchasing, technology and investment units in China. Hachigo became a managing officer two years ago.