Bangkok, Thailand, 4 March, 2002 - AutoAlliance (Thailand) Co. Ltd. has announced the appointment of Yuji Nakamine as its new President effective March 1, 2003.
Mr. Nakamine takes over the helm of the successful Ford-Mazda joint-venture plant from Toshihide Saeki, who is retiring from his position after 38 years of committed service to Mazda, with the past seven at AAT.
Mr. Saeki's strong leadership has contributed to the formation and transformation of AutoAlliance Thailand into a world-class manufacturing facility. As a global center of excellence, AAT builds and exports the Ford Ranger and Mazda Fighter one-tonne pickup trucks to more than 100 countries worldwide including Southeast Asia, Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Mr.Saeki first joined Mazda Motor Co. in 1965, where he made significant contributions to the company. His extensive expertise and experience included having played a central role in the establishment and start-up of Mazda Motor Manufacturing Co. (USA) and AutoAlliance Thailand - both are important production plants for Ford-Mazda. His commitment ensured that both facilities delivered products of high quality and undertook the implementation of a solid production system.
Prior to this new appointment, Mr. Nakamine held the position of Executive Vice-President at AAT since April 2002. He came to join AAT from Mazda Hiroshima, Japan where he was General Manager at the Corporate Planning Administration Department. He joined Mazda in 1977, and served with the Legal Department and International Development Division for many years, including a 3-year assignment in Flat Rock, Michigan, where he was involved in various international business projects as well as Ford-Mazda strategic relationship.