Toyota-owned truck maker Hino Trucks has appointed Glenn Ellis as president and chairman of the board, effective Feb. 1. Ellis succeeds Shigehiro Matsuoka, who retired after holding the position for four years, and will become the first U.S.-born president of the Japanese Hino Trucks. Ellis will also serve as an officer of Hino Motors Limited, Hino Trucks' parent company, according to a press release.
Ellis joined Hino Trucks in 2004 and has led the efforts to build Hino Trucks' brand in the U.S. market. In his most recent role as SVP of customer experience, Ellis focused on expanding Hino's dealer network and product offering to include zero-emission trucks. Ellis had also been employed as VP of marketing, product development, and dealer operations.
As president, Ellis will continue to focus on the dealer and customer relationship. He will lead Hino Trucks' product development and the deployment enhanced technology to the company’s equipment options, according to the release.
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Hino Trucks also announced other organizational changes as part of its overall restructuring to support widening product options and growth in the U.S. Bob Petz, who previously served SVP of vehicle and parts sales, has been appointed chief operating officer and EVP. Petz joined Hino Trucks U.S. in 2004. In addition to product development, all sales, parts, and service operations will report to Petz in his new role.
John Donato, previously VP of parts operations, will take over as SVP of sales and marketing. This move will allow Hino Trucks to align regional parts, sales, and service cross-functional teams to work toward the same vision with a stronger focus on dealer and customer support, increased productivity, and improved communication, according to the release.
"It's an extremely exciting time at Hino Trucks, especially as the trucking industry is adopting sustainable technology with infrastructure that is becoming increasingly available,” Ellis said. “I am proud of Hino's many achievements. The changes within my leadership team are designed to enhance the focus and execution in areas that will support our customers and our long-term product strategy. I am confident that my leadership team, who have outstanding records of delivering results, will continue to contribute to Hino Trucks' future success."
