KUALA LUMPUR: UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) now sees Tan Sri Datuk Sri Hamad Kama Piah bin Che Othman as its new chairman, along with Ravindran Kurusamy who now takes over as the company’s new president.
The new chairman, Hamad has also been with the Permodalan Nasional Berhad and has served as group president and CEO for many years.
He brings with him more than 30 years of experience in the field of unit trust management, investment management and corporate finance.
The new president, Kurusamy, has been with UMWT for the past 26 years and has served in various divisions in the company and has acquired a wide range of experiences.
Over the years, he has also built a close rapport with UMWT’s joint venture partner, Toyota Motor Corporation.
“Both Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Hamad Kama Piah and Mr. Ravindran have vast experience in the industry and I am confident that they will bring to our management team new ideas and new approaches which will benefit the company and take it to greater heights,” said the company's deputy chairman Akio Takeyama.
He also spoke about the outgoing chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin and his contribution.
“His vast experience dealing with industries, especially the auto industry, while at MITI was beneficial to our company. With his guidance, we have been able to interact with the government in a more effective way, especially when it concerned policies and other activities which we wished to undertake.”
Asmat has helmed the company, including UMW Group, since 2001 after retiring from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).
Takeyama also spoke about Datuk Ismet Suki, who he said was instrumental in introducing enhancement of facilities at Toyota outlets around the country in order to move customer service to a higher level.
“This exercise was undertaken efficiently and systematically as Datuk Ismet has a good sense of planning and provided good ideas which inspired those involved in the work.”
UMWT is a joint-venture company established since 1982 by UMW Corporation with Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation.
The company has been the assembler and distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Malaysia and has an extensive network of almost 100 sales and after sales outlets including its authorized dealers, throughout the nation.
For more information, log on to www.toyota.com.my.
