25th October 2006 - Akebono Announces Original Equipment Sales Division Promotions

Akebono Corporation North America (ACNA), announced the following promotions in the Original Equipment (OE) Sales Division within their North American Operations:

Hiro Sato has accepted the position of General Manager of OE Sales.  Hiro received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Takushoku University.  Hiro joined Akebono in 1986 as a member of the Production Control department at the Iwatsuki-plant in Japan.  He has been working in Sales since 1991 and joined ACNA in January 2006 as Director of Japanese OE Sales.

Reporting to Hiro Sato:

Diane Switzer has accepted the position of Director of Domestic OE Sales.  Diane received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from Eastern Michigan University.  Diane served as a Senior Sales Coordinator for AMAK in Glasgow, KY for four years before joining Ambrake in Elizabethtown, KY where she has been Sales Manager since October 2003.

Matt Knowles has accepted the position of Director of Japanese OE Sales.  Matt received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing/Finance from Georgetown College.  Matt has been involved in the sales department since 1991, holding the position of Sales Manager for Japanese Sales since July 2003.

Akebono Corporation North America (ACNA), Elizabethtown, KY, is a major supplier of automotive braking systems with annual sales of $600,000,000.  Their parent company is Akebono Brake Industry Company, LTD. of Japan.

Source: Akebono Press Release