Interesting times ahead
LAST week brought a big surprise from
United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI) when the company suddenly announced a significant addition to their team.
Erstwhile executive vice president of The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI), Lyn Manalansang-Buena, is now senior vice president and chief marketing executive of fast-growing UAAGI.
To be honest, we knew Lyn was going to shift companies because of the recent turmoil inside TCCCI, which saw another female automotive leader taking over the reins of the organization holding the Chevrolet/General Motors and KG Mobility (SsangYong) franchises.
What we did not anticipate was her move to UAAGI, which primarily handles Chinese brands in the Philippines. Lyn has always managed European and American brands from the start of her career, such as Volvo, Chevy, and MG.
However, Rommel Sytin, chairman of UAAGI, made a logical move. Who better to handle the marketing of his growing Chinese-branded company than someone who managed the main competitors of his brands, the Europeans and Americans?
With over 20 years of experience under her belt, Lyn is a perfect fit within the UAAGI team. With Froilan Dytianquin handling Chery and Levy Santos overseeing Foton, Lyn is now the perfect person to oversee the UAAGI’s marketing strategies, further strengthening UAAGI’s position in the growing Philippine automotive market.
In fact, we have heard that UAAGI plans to acquire the distributorship rights to two more Chinese brands, one of them being BAIC, another significant player in the Chinese automotive scene.
With these potential additions, UAAGI, as a multi-brand automotive company, will have a full spectrum of products for the local market. Of course, this has not been officially announced, and we are merely speculating on the brands. But the acquisition of more badges is confirmed, as far as we know.
Additionally, I’ve heard that Lyn’s former boss, lawyer Albert Arcilla, is being considered by another multi-brand company that deals mostly with European makes. While discussions are ongoing, I’ve been informed that they have had their eyes on Arcilla for quite some time now. Sounds intriguing.
On the flip side, Geely Motors has been busy reclaiming their market share after a significant setback a few months back.
With new models like the GX3 Pro now on the market and the gradual increase in sales of models like the Coolray and Emgrand, their new president, Naoyuki Takeda, seems determined to achieve their goal of being in the No. 5 spot in Philippine automotive sales by 2027.
For now, Takeda has informed us that their supply fill-up rate is over 90 percent, meaning parts supply can easily be obtained when needed by their customers. Geely has built a huge warehouse for these parts, which is now one of their sources of pride.
While we’re on the topic, I’ve heard that three new Chinese car brands will be entering the Philippines this year. I have yet to confirm the names of these brands, so I’ll refrain from mentioning them this time, but stay tuned for more updates.