Getting live impressions, seeing some of the latest developments on- site and making important visits: These were among the main reasons for Riku Yazaki, President and Representative Director of the Yazaki Corporation, to come to our ‘Y-EMEA region’ again − this time from May 13 to 17. His stops did not only encompass corporate locations in Portugal and Tunisia, but also included a big OEM customer in Germany. Here is a brief overview of the single stations:

Initially, Riku Yazaki visited Portugal (YSE). There, he did not only attend the inauguration of the new Tooling Center. Together with other top managers like Y-EMEA leaders Munenori Yamada, Chairman, Hans Lemmens, CEO, Ergün Tan, CFO, Jeroen Deen, Divisional President ECS Division, and Andreas Di Vece, Divisional President EDS Division. He received a guided tour of YSE's operations. Riku Yazaki also took the opportunity to see the vehicle that will transport athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

During the tour Riku admired Datacon, Molding Injection, Wire, Molding Assembly, EDS and PDU areas. Moreover, he took part in 35 years Ceremony, which was attended by 240 employees with 35 years or more of service. He visited the PTC and Monozukuri Innovation Center as well and participated in the tree plantation. Yazaki Portugal and Shimada plant played a significant role in this project that included developing the electrical system as well as supplying the cabling and meter.

The second stop of Riku Yazaki – and his very first visit to Tunisia – was the site in Bizerte (YAPT). After an introductory presentation, he took a tour of the shopfloor. There, the team presented him with new and running projects like ‘BMW I20 KSK’. The NYS activities as well as the training and medical center made an equally good impression on him. For mutually lasting memories, the YC President signed the site's Golden Book.

At the next Tunisian halt in Gafsa (YTU), the colleagues introduced ‘their’ plant to him − both through presentations and a tour. For Hafawa Bennaceur, winner of the ‘22 Yazaki Spirit Award in the  Fortitude category, they had an extra highlight: Riku Yazaki and Hans Lemmens personally presented the certificate to her.  

Both at YTU (left image), YAPT (middle) and YSE (right), the YC President actively participated in tree planting ceremonies.

On March 17, Riku Yazaki joined a meeting with Y-EMEA customer Mercedes-Benz in Böblingen, Germany. The spirit was very positive, since the OEM views Yazaki as a trustful, performant supplier to master more vertical integration and vehicle platform challenges like the MFA2 ramp-down and the MMA ramp-up. It was also the very good finale to the YC President’s densely packed European tour.