Hino chair and CEO to bid farewell, with Suda taking the reins
Hino Australia chair and CEO Steve Lotter has announced he will retire at the turn of the new year.
Lotter has enjoyed a 45-year career in the automotive industry, starting in 1975 at Thiess Toyota, which was the precursor to a 30-year career at Toyota Australia, before leaving briefly in 2005 to take on the role of COO at Kia Motors Australia.
Encouraged back to the Toyota Group in 2006, he joined Hino Australia – part of the global Toyota Motor Corporation group – as COO, before his move to the president and COO role in 2008, and then into his current role in 2014.
“During my time at Hino Australia, there has been a focus on expanding and developing the product range using the principles of SPEC, being safety, performance, efficiency and comfort,” Lotter says.
“Following the successful launches of our new light and medium-duty truck ranges over the last three years, I am confident that I leave Hino Australia well-positioned for the future.”
How Lotter ascended to the top at Hino Australia, here
Hino Australia president and COO Sam Suda will move into the new role of Hino president and CEO from January 1, 2021 after two years in his current role.
“On behalf of Hino Australia, I would like to thank Steve for his dedication and leadership over the past 14 years,” Suda says.
Hino Australia spotlights its latest project, an investment in a new parts distribution centre, which is currently under construction at Horsley Park in western Sydney and due to open mid-2021.
This investment will optimise Hino Australia’s supply chain network, by providing a better and faster service to the over 45,000 Hino trucks and buses currently in operation on Australian roads, the company states.