YANMAR MARINE INTERNATIONAL (YMI) has announced key appointments which further develop the company’s position in the industry as the leading supplier of innovative engines and technology-driven marine propulsion systems to the leisure and light duty commercial markets.
Following his work in various senior managerial positions in the company, Teruyuki Yamaoka is named the new Vice President YMI, while Floris Lettinga is promoted to Director Sales and Marketing to extend his 15 years within the marine department at YANMAR.
Yamaoka brings extensive experience in production management and quality assurance, corporate brand building, strategic operations and planning to YMI. His previous roles include Planning Division Manager and Director of Operation at YANMAR AMERICA CORPORATION and Sales Planning and Strategy Senior Manager at Hokuto Yanmar Corporation.
He said: “My goal is to build a strong YANMAR brand in the global market and develop a robust team that is able to differentiate our products and provide solutions to meet customer needs. I am very excited to start work in my new role in an industry which I have been involved and familiar with since I was very young.”
With a broad background within YANMAR and in the international marine industry, Lettinga is perfectly placed to step up from Senior Global Sales Manager to his new position leading the YMI Sales and Marketing team.
He will be responsible for overseeing sales, marketing, after-sales and external relations and ensuring YANMAR’s proven expertise and technological innovations as a total system supplier continue to meet customer needs across the world.
“All my years of experience in the marine industry with YANMAR, working in a variety of different countries and markets and in various sales engineering and project-based positions, have prepared me for this new role,” said Lettinga. “I am looking forward to the challenge and further developing our presence in the global market place with our leisure light duty commercial engines and other integrated solutions.”
Lettinga started his career with YANMAR in 2003 as a sales engineer for the leisure marine market in the Benelux, progressing to Area Manager Marine for Europe and then Project Specialist for marine, leisure and commercial high-speed engines with Yanmar Co. Ltd, in Osaka, Japan, before returning to specialise in sales in Europe, Russia and Africa.
YANMAR confirms the new appointments in conjunction with its continued strategy to significantly strengthened its position in the recreational marine industry following recent acquisitions and investments.