· Kenichi Kawaji to start tenure as President and CEO on April 1, 2025
· Departing President Kenji Harada led record growth of the brand over four years
· Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV repeated as Canada’s top-selling plug-in hybrid in 2024
MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 13, 2025 – Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has named Kenichi Kawaji as its next President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada (MMSCAN), succeeding Kenji Harada who has guided the company to record heights for the past four years. The appointment takes effect on April 1, 2025, which is the start of the 2025 fiscal year for Mitsubishi Motors.
A native of Kagoshima, Japan, Kawaji has worked with Mitsubishi Motors for the entirety of his automotive career. After graduating from Osaka Prefecture University, he was hired in April 2000 as part of the Overseas Operations Group, primarily working on vehicle exports to Central and South America, as well as Europe.
From 2005 to 2020, he served in progressively more senior roles within the Europe, Middle East and Africa Departments for MMC, before being named General Manager of the department in April 2020. Since 2022, Kawaji has served as General Manager of ASEAN Division 2, heading up the Indonesia Business Division. He comes into the Canadian market with a wealth of experience with the Outlander PHEV, having been part of the team that introduced the first generation of the vehicle to the European market.
Though he has lived in Japan through his career, he spent time living in both Vancouver, B.C. and Maine while studying in high school and university.
Kawaji arrives at Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada at a time of uncertainty in the North American automotive industry as OEMs deal with a changing political landscape and ever-evolving EV mandates and customer demand.
“Like every region in the world, Canada has its own challenges and opportunities,” Kawaji said during a recent visit to Mitsubishi Motors’ Canadian headquarters.
“But as I learn more about the success of the brand over the past few years thanks to the highly engaged dealer network and the foundation built by my predecessor Kenji Harada, I’m confident we can continue to see success in the future.”
Having previously worked for MMSCAN in an Aftersales role from 2008 to 2011, Harada returned to Canada as President and CEO in April 2021. He has led the brand’s growth from 23,644 vehicles sold in 2021 to a record 38,921 sold in 2024.
During that time, he oversaw the launch of the critically important and award-winning next generation Mitsubishi Outlander and flagship Outlander PHEV, which has been Canada’s top-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle since it launched as a 2023 model.
Harada has strengthened the Mitsubishi Motors brand in Canada with a dealer- and customer-first focus, as well as prioritizing Aftersales and Digital Marketing. In order to build a foundation for the future, he oversaw the addition of a second port operation in Nanaimo, B.C., expanded Mitsubishi Motors’ Parts Distribution Centre in Mississauga, and led the reorganization and expansion of the MMSCAN team to support the increase in vehicle sales.
“Together as a team with our 97 dealerships and our staff across Canada, we have worked hard and built a mutual trust to achieve success,” Harada said. “Although I will be headed back to Japan to take on another role with MMC, I look forward to watching the continued success of Mitsubishi Motors in Canada.”
