Honda Welcomes First Female President of a Japanese Car Brand in the Philippines

For the first time ever, a woman is at the helm of a Japanese car brand in the Philippines. Rie Miyake has officially started her tenure as president of Honda Cars Philippines Inc., taking over from Masahiro Nakamura, who was company chief for three years. Nakamura is moving to take over the company’s operations in South Korea. 

Masahiro Nakamura officially turns over leadership of Honda Cars Philippines Inc to Rie Miyake

Photo by HCPI.

During the formal turnover ceremonies held at Crimson Hotel in Alabang, Miyake underscored Honda’s commitment to deliver on its tagline: the power of dreams.

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“As we embark on this fresh journey, I want to assure you (that) the times may have changed so much, but Honda’s commitment to the Power of Dreams has only grown through the years,” she said. “Please watch out for new technologies to be launched very soon, including eHEV hybrid electric vehicle that doesn’t just have a hybrid emblem—it truly delivers. We will also continue to improve our sales and after-sales operations to give our customers more joy throughout their vehicle ownership.”

Miyake is a career Honda official, having served with the brand not only in its home country of Japan but in various other markets in North and South America.

In an interview with Esquire Philippines following the turnover ceremony, Miyake said she did not realize she was the first woman to lead not just Honda but a Japanese car brand in the Philippines. While there are some top-level female executives of car companies in Japan, she said there weren’t a lot.

Photo by HCPI.

She also talked about her immediate priorities going into her new role.

“Taking over what Nakamura-san has done for safety, and also our carbon-neutral (campaign) so we are going to align with global strategy of Honda,” she said. “I want to do my best to support this.”

In 2022, Honda was number seven in the list of top-selling car brands in the Philippines, according to the tally by the Chamber of the Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI). Miyake had a firm answer when asked about improving sales for Honda.

“No pressure (on sales),” she said. “I want to do my best to improve, but no, there is no pressure.”