- Dave Gardner to retire as executive VP of National Operations
- Mamadou Diallo to become senior VP and assume responsibility for all Auto Sales
- Establishment of new integrated Digital Services & Marketing Business Unit to lead digital transformation
- Global Honda to create new Electrification Business Development Operations to further strengthen and accelerate Honda's electrification business
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., today announced a series of organizational changes that will continue its transformation toward the electrified and digital future, along with key executive changes related to its Auto Sales operations.
Dave Gardner, a longtime Honda executive within the company's North American automobile operations, will retire as American Honda executive vice president of National Operations, effective April 1, 2023. Mamadou Diallo, currently vice president of Auto Sales, will be promoted to senior vice president and assume full responsibility for Auto Sales, including both the Honda and Acura sales organizations, Sales Planning, Logistics, Sales Strategy and a new Product Communications division.
"Dave has played an important role over the past three years in helping lead the company in the face of major challenges including the COVID pandemic, supply constraints and the restructuring of our Auto Sales organization," said Mamadou Diallo, vice president of Auto Sales, American Honda. "He also helped set the direction for our digital and electrified future in the automobile sales area, which will be a major focus of my efforts in this new role."
Global Honda Organizational Changes
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. also announced global organizational and operational changes, effective April 1, 2023, that will further solidify the company's direction toward the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050. Specifically, Honda will strive to further accelerate its electrification business and create new value by leveraging its broad and expanding range of mobility products.
A new Electrification Business Development Operations will be created to further strengthen and accelerate Honda's electrification business by consolidating the business strategy and BEV product development functions of automobile business and the electrification-related strategy and development functions of Honda's motorcycle and power product business operations.
The global changes also include a plan to consolidate Honda's current six regional operations into three regional operations -- North America, China, and a new Regional Operations (Global Group) that will combine four current regional operations, Japan, Asia & Oceania, South America and the Europe, Africa and the Middle East Region. This change will help execute and strengthen electrification strategies for each region based on Honda's global strategy. More information is available here.
American Honda Organizational Changes
As American Honda continues the transformation of its automobile business toward the electrified and digital future, the company has continued with organizational changes that began two years ago.
New American Honda Digital Services and Marketing Business Unit
American Honda will establish a new Digital Services & Marketing Business Unit by integrating existing digital functions, including a digital service development function, the software services function of the current CASE & Energy Business Unit, together with the Marketing & Customer Experience Business Unit, and consumer-facing functions of the company's IT Business Unit. By centralizing these digital functions Honda will work to create an attractive and consistent customer experience, while accelerating the planning and execution of next-generation business verticals with increased collaboration with global Honda divisions.
New Sustainability & Business Development Business Unit
In conjunction with the move of its software services function to the Digital Services and Marketing Business Unit, the current CASE & Energy Business Unit will sharpen its focus around its energy and new business development responsibilities to become the Sustainability & Business Development Business Unit.
Auto Sales Leadership Transition
Gardner began his career at Honda in 1989 at Honda Canada, Inc., where he held positions of increasing responsibility, including zone manager, national sales manager for both the Honda and Acura brands, assistant vice president for Acura, vice president of the Customer Service Division, and vice president of Sales and Marketing for both Honda and Acura. In 2017, Gardner became president & CEO of Honda Canada, with responsibility for all of the company's business operations. In May 2020, Gardner became the executive vice president of Automobile Sales of AHM, with responsibility for U.S. sales and marketing activities of the Honda and Acura brands and overseeing Honda and Acura market representation, dealer business management, and product and sales information. In July 2020, Gardner assumed his current position as executive vice president of National Operations. Gardner's full bio can be found here.
Diallo joined American Honda in 2001 and has held a wide variety of positions within the company's Auto Sales organization, including both the Honda and Acura brands. Working in both the company's field operations, including the Mid-Atlantic, Southwest and Central regions, as well as National Sales at the company's headquarters in Torrance, Calif., Diallo rose to senior manager of Acura National Sales in 2017, overseeing all U.S. sales activities for the Acura brand. In 2019, Diallo became the assistant vice president of Acura National Sales, Incentives and Strategy. He was promoted to vice president, Auto Operations, in 2021, overseeing Product Planning, Production Planning and Logistics for American Honda. Diallo assumed his current role as vice president, Auto Sales in 2022. Diallo's full bio can be found here.
About Honda
Honda offers a full line of clean, safe, fun and connected vehicles sold through more than 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The award-winning Honda lineup includes the Civic and Accord, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda 's electrified vehicle lineup includes the Accord hybrid, CR-V hybrid, and, in the future, Civic hybrid. The Honda Prologue SUV, Honda 's first volume battery-electric vehicle, will join the lineup in 2024.
Honda has been producing automobiles in America for over 40 years and currently operates 18 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2022, more than 99% of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, with over two-thirds made in America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.
About Acura
Acura is a leading automotive nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance – a commitment to expressive styling, high-performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability. The Acura lineup currently features four distinctive models – the next-gen Integra sport compact, TLX sport sedan, the RDX and MDX sport-utility vehicles along with high-performance Type S variants. Acura's first all-electric model will be an SUV, the ZDX and ZDX Type S, and will arrive in 2024. All Acura vehicles sold in America are made in the U.S., using domestic and globally sourced parts.
More information about Honda and Acura is available in the Digital Factbook.
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