Hajime Seikaku has been appointed as the new vice president of Mazda’s European R&D Center in Oberursel, near Frankfurt in Germany. Seikaku will join the team in analyzing new automotive technologies as well as developing parts and accessories for the European market.
Seikaku, aged 53, has moved to the Oberursel facility from Mazda’s vehicle development division in Japan. Prior to joining that division, he served in various vehicle and parts development capacities for both Mazda and Ford in Europe and Japan. Seikaku first joined Mazda in 1987 after graduating in electrical engineering at the Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo.
“Seikaku brings a wealth of vehicle development expertise and knows the requirements and preferences of European market and its customers very well,” stated Mazda Motor Europe president & CEO, Jeff Guyton. “We’re delighted to have someone join us with such an invaluable level of experience after more than 30 years at Mazda.”
Seikaku succeeds Matsuhiro Tanaka, 57, who has held the position since September 2016. Tanaka is returning to Japan, where he will assume the role of general manager of the chassis dynamics development department.
