Mitsubishi Motors North America Promotes Kim Ito to V.P. Marketing

• Ito promoted from director, marketing, to vice president, marketing; leads all marketing and customer experience programs for the company
• Kiri Kiely-Rodriguez promoted to director, customer and retail experience

FRANKLIN, Tenn., April 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) today announced the promotion of Kim Ito to the role of vice president, marketing. Ito, 40, has been with MMNA since 2016, and was promoted to director, marketing, in February, 2022. She will continue to report directly to MMNA president and CEO, Mark Chaffin.

Ito has responsibility for all marketing and advertising activities and strategies for the brand, including TV, digital, social, print and out-of-home, interactive platforms including digital retailing, CRM and retail marketing programs with the company's dealer partners. In addition, Ito will add customer experience (CX) activities to her marketing responsibilities as MMNA changes the definition of customer to the very point where a potential customer comes into the company's ecosystem, as they begin their shopping journey with research, vehicle configuration and pricing, and initial dealer contact.

Additionally, and in further recognition of this internal shift and the continued prioritization of CX, Kiri Kiely-Rodriguez is promoted to director, customer and retail experience, from senior manager. Kiely-Rodriguez will report directly to Kim Ito.

"These promotions are well-deserved, and are recognition of their hard work, successes and vision for the future," said Mark Chaffin regarding this announcement. "Once again, MMNA is promoting from within, and proof that our employee team is the very best in the industry. This further bolsters female representation on MMNA's VP leadership team to three, and I'm proud to see the diversity of thought, experience and backgrounds that shape our company."

As part of the recent announcement of its Midterm Plan, "Challenge 2025", MMNA's parent company, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, noted that MMNA will be a global leader when it comes to growing the company's local leadership position in the use of innovative digital tools for sales and marketing. The two promotions announced today, and the move of CX into the marketing team, directly support that leadership position, and set the company up for future success.

ABOUT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. In its recently announced Midterm Plan – "Challenge 2025" – MMNA's parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has committed to accelerating its efforts toward a sustainable carbon-neutral future, setting goals of 40 percent reduction in vehicle CO2 emissions and 50 percent reduction in operational CO2 emissions by 2030. Additionally, MMC has set targets for global sales of electrified vehicles at 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035, leveraging a blend of plug-in hybrids (PHEV), hybrids (HEV) and pure electrics (BEV).

MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida. 

For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

Contact
Jeremy Barnes
Senior Director, Communications and Events
[email protected]
Mobile: 714-296-1402

SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.