KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 22): Ravindran Kurusamy has been named the new president of UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd, effective Jan 1. He will replace Datuk Ismet Suki whose term has ended after 26 years of association with the company.

The chairman of UMW Holdings Bhd and UMW Toyota Motor, Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin, said he is confident that Ravindran "has the knowledge and capabilities to lead UMW Toyota Motor ahead in coming years".

"Mr Ravindran has been with the company for 26 years and in that time, he has taken on positions in different divisions. This has given him valuable insights into the company's operations as well as its relationship with our joint-venture partner, Toyota Motor Corporation," Asmat said in a statement today.

Ravindran was the company's executive director in charge of aftersales, purchasing, quality assurance and property. He holds a BSc in Business Administration with a major in Finance and gained his MBA from the United States in 1988.

Ravindran aims to take the company further and to continue the momentum of growth despite the challenging times for the automotive industry.

"It is my objective to maximise Toyota's overall performance in the Malaysian market and ensure that the brand remains a major player in the country's automotive sector," he said.

UMW Toyota Motor, a joint-venture company established by UMW Corp with Toyota Motor Corp and Toyota Tsusho Corp, has been the assembler and distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Malaysia since 1982.

It also has its own assembly plant, ASSB, in Shah Alam, and is currently building a second plant in Selangor which will begin operations in 2019.