- Miu Kato joined Honda in 2000
- Throughout his career at the company, he has held positions of responsibility in countries such as Russia and the United States.
- The until now vice president of Honda Spain and Portugal replaces Marc Serruya
The until now Honda Vice President in the Iberian Peninsula, Miu Kato, has started his stage as the new President of Honda Motor Europe Spain and Portugal. Kato, who replaces Marc Serruya, thus becomes the chief executive of Honda’s automobile and motorcycle division in Spain and of the motorcycle division in Portugal.
Born in Yokoyama (20 kilometers south of Tokyo), Miu Kato, 46 years old, married with three children, has a degree in Economic Sciences.
Miu Kato’s track record at Honda has been primarily linked to the areas of Automotive Sales and Marketing. After spending his first three years at Honda Motor in Japan, Kato moved to Honda Motor Russia in Moscow, where he served for three more years (2003-2006). After a new and brief period at Honda’s headquarters in Japan, where he was in charge of car sales for Latin America (2006-2007), the Japanese manager was in charge of car exports for five years (2007-2012). American Honda Motor, based in Los Angeles. From 2012 to 2017 he again held various positions of responsibility at Honda Motor, Japan, and for two more years, from 2017 to 2019, he was linked to Honda’s luxury brand, Acura, again in the United States.
In 2019, he joined Honda Motor Europe Spain and Portugal as vice president, a position he has held to date. Kato’s appointment as President of Honda’s Spanish and Portuguese subsidiaries comes at a time when digital transformation, electrification, and energy solutions mark the way for Honda’s business in Europe.
Under his presidency, Miu Kato’s priority for the automobile division in Spain will be to position Honda, in his words, “as a benchmark among those who recognize and value the differentiation of our products, our brand philosophy, its history and its future direction ”. Regarding the motorcycle area, his main challenge in Spain and Portugal will be “to consolidate the company as number 1 in sales in both markets, and to ensure that Honda is part of the two-wheel culture in both countries”. On a more general level, the President of Honda Motor Europe Spain and Portugal will bet on creating synergies between both divisions.
About Honda
Honda is a leader in motorcycle manufacturing and marketing and the seventh largest automaker in the world. In addition, it is the first company in the automotive sector to fully develop a private jet aircraft, the HondaJet, and is the architect of the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, ASIMO, making it the leading mobility company. With 70 production centers and 21 R&D in 27 countries, Honda Motor Co., Ltd distributes its products to 31 million customers (year 2019).
In Spain, Honda concentrates its business unit in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda (Barcelona), where it employs 266 people. In addition to the motorcycle, spare parts and accessories production plant, the Japanese multinational has the automobile and motorcycle commercial division of Honda Motor Europe Spain, the brand’s own financial company (Honda Finance Spain), the Honda Institute of Safety, the HMEL-ES logistics center, the headquarters of the Trial competition team, the Repsol Honda Team and a division of HRC.
