The key to Geely PHL passes hands

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New President and CEO Yugo Kiyofuji envisions cracking the top five by 2025

YUGO KIYOFUJI assumed his post as president and CEO of Sojitz G Auto Philippines (SGAP), which oversees the Geely business in the country, effective last April 1. He replaced Yosuke Nishi who had presided over the establishment of the automaker’s presence here starting in 2019.

Mr. Nishi leaves the company in good position. Overseeing Geely’s introduction and, significantly, its growth amid the pandemic, the executive and his team propelled the brand from obscurity to popularity. Last year, SGAP sold 6,104 vehicles — bettering the 2020 total by 183% — with only three models in its lineup. By the end of 2022, the network of operational dealerships is expected to number up to 40.

Geely Philippines also noted that its sales milestone of 10,000 units was achieved “in just two years and eight months” since opening shop — mainly through Geely’s immensely popular five-seater subcompact crossover Coolray, which has frequently topped its segment in sales. In his speech at the formal turnover ceremony held last week, SGAP General Manager for Sales and Marketing Froilan Dytianquin underscored, “We are indeed fortunate that despite the challenges of the pandemic, we have achieved this feat in less than three years, which we believe is the fastest in the industry.”

Remarked Mr. Nishi as he addressed guests from the lectern, “I’m very lucky to have been assigned to SGAP. Geely is my baby, because I’m the one who introduced the Geely brand in the Philippines back in 2019. It was indeed a challenging but rewarding experience. I cherish the memory of working together (with the team) to level up SGAP.” The executive, who moves to a new assignment at Sojitz Fuso Philippines as its president and CEO, described his successor as “the right man for the job.”

In a release, Geely Philippines said that Mr. Kiyofuji boasts 20 years of automotive experience with “other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and automotive-related companies in various overseas markets such as the Middle East, Latin America, and Australia.”

In turn, Mr. Kiyofuji expressed gratitude to his predecessor and recognized how SGAP had quickly made Geely a top 10 automotive brand in the country. He also thanked the network of dealerships, along with the support of the Yuchengco Group. “We are very much excited to take on the challenge,” the new Geely Philippines head declared.

Aside from Mr. Kiyofuji, SGAP is also welcoming Kazuki Sugino, who will assume the chief administrative officer position “in order to strengthen the quality of operations throughout SGAP.” The executive is no stranger to the Philippines, having worked with another auto brand for five years. Mr. Sugino also assumed “an executive role in (the) Sojitz headquarters.”

The new president and CEO isn’t bashful about his intentions. “Our role is to take SGAP to the next level and become one of the top 5 brands by 2025,” he stated. In a subsequent interview with the media, he said that Geely Philippines can realize this through a three-pronged strategy: by introducing new vehicles and enhancing existing models, strengthening the dealership network quantity and quality, and providing value-added services to the customer while assuring satisfaction.

While expressing satisfaction with the brand’s performance thus far, Mr. Kiyofuji averred, “I think there are (lots) of areas that are untapped,” and has set a yearly sales target (beginning this year) of no less than 10,000 units. He maintained that the Coolray will remain the company’s “bread and butter” even as “the Emgrand will be a true competitor.”

When asked by “Velocity” as to how he sees the Philippine market in general, Mr. Kiyofuji said, “As a macro-economy, the Philippines is going to be a booming economy from now on. You have more than 100 million people. What I understand is that more than 50% are aged less than 24 years old. They are going to be the actual buyers, going forward.”

He pleasantly noted that, “Filipinos are accepting of other brands, unlike other markets. They look at the details and don’t care too much where the vehicle is actually made in. That facilitates the business for me.” The Coolray’s success shows that “we can forget about the (made in China) stigma because it’s (quality is) very different from the stereotype.”

What he will take a close look at is after-sales — “How we supply the parts, how we service the vehicle on time without issues,” concluded Mr. Kiyofuji.