Geely Philippines, under the exclusive distributorship of Sojitz G Auto Philippines (SGAP), enters the second quarter of 2022 with a new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Effective April 1, 2022, Yugo Kiyofuji takes over the reigns of the one of the fastest growing new car brands in the country, replacing Yosuke Nishi.
Nishi-san headed the entry of Geely in the Philippines in 2019. In just a span of three years, he was able to achieve several milestones for SGAP, including the inclusion of Geely Philippines as one of the top 10 car brands in the country in terms of sales. With only three models in its lineup, the company sold 6,104 units at the end of 2021 and after Q1 2022, SGAP proudly reports that it hit the 10,000th unit mark.
Yugo Kiyofuji will follow this impressive feat. Prior to becoming SGAP’s President and CEO, Kiyofuji-san has garnered 20 years of automotive experience. He was with other OEM and automotive-related companies in several markets, such as Middle East, Latin America, and Australia.
“I am very grateful for the customers and business partners who accepted and supported the Geely brand up to now that enabled us to become top 10 automotive brand within a short period of time,” Kiyofuji said.
“Our role is to take SGAP to the next level and become one of the top passenger vehicle brands by 2025, strengthening our dealer network as well as exceeding the customer expectation. I am very much excited to take on the challenges ahead and committed to leave no stones unturned to achieve our mid-term goal,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kazuki Sugino will take over as Chief Administrative Officer in order to improve the overall quality of operations at SGAP. For the past five years, Sugino has worked as an executive at Sojitz Headquarters and numerous enterprises in the Philippines, including other car distributors. This time, the management changes highlight the strategic relevance of SGAP within the Sojitz group of companies.
Geely Philippines also announced that it will be previewing a special vehicle at the 2022 Manila International Auto Show, which will serve as Kiyofuji-san’s first major automotive event as SGAP’s President and CEO.