Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA (KMC) has announced that Masafumi “Masa” Nakagawa will succeed Takeshi “Tak” Teranishi as president of the company, effective April 1. Nakagawa, who spent six years at KMC’s Irvine headquarters in the late 1990s, will transition to his new position when Teranishi, who joined KMC in 2009, leaves to assume the presidency of Kawasaki Motors Corporation Japan.

 

Nakagawa, the new KMC president, joined the parent company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) in 1977, after receiving a degree in Economics from Kyoto University. He held several titles within KHI and subsidiary companies in Japan and Europe in addition to his earlier posting in the United States. Most positions emphasized marketing and sales, and included a three-year stint as the managing director of Kawasaki Motors Europe N.V. as well as his recent position as general manager of the Marketing and Sales Division of KHI’s Motorcycle & Engine Company in Japan, where he was also promoted to executive officer in 2010.

 

“Masa’s experience in all aspects of Kawasaki’s business operations will allow the company to continue its growth path and strengthen efforts to broaden our brand’s impact in the powersports arena,” said Teranishi, the outgoing KMC president.

 

During Teranishi’s tenure at KMC, the company introduced several new products that have helped to increase its market share such as the Ninja 300, KLX 250S, Vulcan 1700 Voyager, Teryx4, Brute Force 300 and Jet Ski Ultra 310 series.