Isuzu Australia has doubled down on support for its customer-facing business ahead of its all-new model release later this year, bey announcing the recent elevation of Ben Lasry to the role of director.
Ben Lasry will take on the leadership role with Isuzu in addition to the responsibilities of chief of sales and aftersales, pledging a ” strong focus on future-proofing the market’s top-selling truck brand”.
Director and COO, Andrew Harbison said Lasry’s appointment comes at a critical time for the brand and helps solidify IAL’s long-term commitment to maximise efficiencies for road transport-reliant Australian businesses.
“Ben and his team have worked hard in recent years to continue to evolve, strengthen and grow partnerships across our national dealer network, and he’s been extremely effective in this since joining us in 2020,” Harbison said.
“Collectively, IAL has completed a mountain of work to ensure the right infrastructure, processes and, importantly, people are in place to continue to deliver on customer demand.
“As many are aware, Australia’s road freight task is projected to grow at unprecedented levels out to 2050, and as both an industry and a leading OEM, we must be prepared for those challenges.
“Within IAL at least, Ben’s expanded role, backed by the expertise he brings to bear, will ensure we’re well placed to respond to need and continue to grow as an organisation.”
Speaking on the appointment, Lasry said he was looking forward to another challenge within IAL at a pivotal time for the brand and the broader road transport sector.
“Isuzu Trucks has had some amazing success over the years, and with this appointment, I’m excited to see where the future takes us as a group,” Lasry said.
“Internally, we’ve been busy working closely with our dealer network while also re-imagining our approach to some other critical areas of both our sales and aftersales strategies.
“It’s no secret that Isuzu is growing, not just from a truck parc perspective but as an evolving organisation too. We’ve resourced up over the last few years and done a lot of work around bolstering and aligning our sales, aftersales, logistics, forecasting and supply chain operations.
“The focus has been putting the right people in the right roles in all areas of our business,” he said.
“Part of responding to growth is ensuring we continue to collaborate and engage directly with our dealer partners and customers. We’re striving to make doing business with Isuzu straightforward, effortless and rewarding.
“Underpinning that is arguably the best customer support strategy in the business, Isuzu Care, and coupled with a quality product, we know this combination is at the crux of our ongoing success—delivering real solutions.”
Before joining Isuzu Trucks, the company says Lasry collected a wealth of automotive industry experience with time spent in sales, marketing, logistics and supply chain operations as well as aftersales and commercial strategies for the likes of General Motors Holden.
In joining the director team, the additional responsibility adds to an already busy portfolio of responsibility within Isuzu, although, as Lasry notes, there are a number of priorities to focus on in the shadow of an imminent new model range.
“It’s an exciting time to be with Isuzu as we look to roll out all-new products to the Australian truck market.
“It’s a huge undertaking, and there’ll be some challenges, but through the work we’ve done internally, we’re in a strong position as a business to truly engage with consumers and put forward a compelling case of value, reliability and support that just can’t be matched by our competitors.
“One lesson I’ve learnt since coming across to Isuzu is that they don’t do things in halves.
“We’ll continue to deliver the very best solution and support for our customers—it’s at the core of our thinking at every turn.
“I’m humbled by the appointment and look forward to further entrenching Isuzu Trucks as the road transport partners Australians trust to deliver real outcomes,” Larry concluded.
