Honda Names New Senior Staff to Battle Quality Problems

Honda Motor Co. is installing a new executive team in hopes of curing its persistent quality woes.

The shakeup will replace five directors, including Chairman Fumihiko Ike and CEO Tetsuo Iawamura, and eight other senior executives. All will retire in June.

Chairman Fumihiko Ike, Executive Vice President Tetsuo Iwamura and seven other senior executives will retire, according to the company. Several operating officers will be replaced on April 1.

Installing a new team is intended to help Takahiro Hachigo, who was named president a year ago to restore the company’s historical reputation for high quality.

Honda has been hardest hit by the Takata Corp. airbag inflator recall crisis. Its models account for more than half the roughly 45 million devices being recalled, and nine of 10 fatalities blamed on the inflators occurred in Honda vehicles. The company also is preparing to recall its popular Civic small car to repair improperly assembled engines that could fail.

These are among the new assignments:

• Seiji Kuraishi, currently head of Honda’s China operations, will replace Iwamura as executive vice president.
• Toshiaki Mikoshiba, formerly head of Honda operations in Europe, will head the company’s North American unit.
• Masahiro Yoshida, currently a director and managing officer, will become corporate auditor.
• Yasuhide Mizuno, head of Honda’s China venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group, will succeed Kuraishi.
• Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, currently chief operating officer for automotive operations, will replace Koichi Fukuo as head of R&D. The position is considered a stepping stone to the presidency.
• Asako Suzuki, who leads Honda’s venture with Dongfeng Motor Co. in China, will become the carmaker’s first female chief operating officer.