MORAY CALLUM NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation announced today that Moray Callum has been named a corporate executive officer; he will continue in his role as general manager of Mazda’s Design Division. Callum was named general manager of Mazda’s Design Division in September 2001 and, in that role, has overseen all aspects of the company’s design efforts for both production and concept vehicles.
Mazda’s Design Division employs approximately 250 people around the world. In addition to design studios in Hiroshima and Yokohama, Japan, Mazda Design has key studios in Irvine, California and Oberursel, Germany.
"Promoting Callum to a corporate executive officer reflects his ongoing and important contribution to Mazda and also the overall importance of the Design Division," said Hisakazu Imaki, president and CEO of Mazda Motor Corporation.
Imaki added: "Strong and consistent designs have helped Mazda achieve product success around the globe, and Callum has done an excellent job directing the design team. The public reaction to the all-new MX-5, which was launched earlier this year, is a great example of our design strength. I want design to remain a priority in our product development system. Naming Callum an executive officer will help give the Design Division the prominence it deserves."
Callum provides Mazda with truly international design experience. Prior to joining Mazda in Hiroshima, Callum worked in Europe and North America for a number of leading brands including Ford, Ghia and Peugeot-Citroen PSA. His work ranges from concept sports cars to some of the best-selling passenger vehicles in the world.
Recent Mazda product launches include the popular Verisa in Japan, and global products such as Axela/Mazda3, Premacy/Mazda5 and Roadster/MX-5. Mazda’s sales in calendar year 2004 rose by over eight percent in major global markets. In 2004, Mazda set all-time sales records in nine different markets around the world.
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