Ellis Named President of Hino Trucks + Operational Changes

Hino Trucks announced the appointment of Glenn Ellis to the position of president and chairman of the board for Hino Trucks, effective February 1, 2023. Ellis succeeds Shigehiro Matsuoka, who retired after holding the position for four years and will become the first U.S.-born President of Hino Trucks. 

In addition, Ellis will also serve as an Officer of Hino Motors Limited, Hino Trucks' parent company.

As President, Ellis will continue to focus on the dealer and customer relationship. According to the truckmaker, he will grow the brand by driving Hino Trucks' product development, adding enhanced technology and innovation, and supporting a faster decision-making process.

Who is Glenn Ellis? 

Ellis is not a new name in work trucks, having spent the past 30 years involved in the industry. Ellis joined Hino Trucks in 2004 as vice president of marketing, product development, and dealer operations after 11 years with Detroit Diesel and has led the efforts to build Hino Trucks' brand in the U.S. market.

In 2018, he was promoted to his most recent role as senior vice president of customer experience. In this role, Ellis focused on expanding Hino's dealer network and product offering to include zero-emissions trucks while continuing to grow Hino trucks' market share.

During his time as vice president of marketing, product development, and dealer operations, Hino noted that Ellis built strong customer loyalty around the company's core philosophy and launched the "Ultimate Ownership Experience."

Additional Hino Organizational Changes

Hino Trucks also announced several other organizational changes as part of its overall restructuring to support widening product options and growth in the U.S. 

Bob Petz, who previously served as senior vice president of vehicle and parts sales, was appointed chief operating officer and executive vice president. Petz joined Hino Trucks U.S. in 2004, and according to Hino, his strong leadership and strategic approach have been a tremendous asset to the company. 

In addition to product development, all sales, parts, and service operations will report to Bob in his new role.

John Donato, previously vice president of parts operations, will take over as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Hino noted that this move would allow the company to align regional parts, sales, and service cross-functional teams to work toward the same vision with a stronger focus on dealer and customer support, increased productivity, and improved communication.

"It's an extremely exciting time at Hino Trucks, especially as the trucking industry is adopting sustainable technology with infrastructure that is becoming increasingly available," Ellis said. "I am proud of Hino's many achievements. The changes within my leadership team are designed to enhance the focus and execution in areas that will support our customers and our long-term product strategy. I am confident that my leadership team, who have outstanding records of delivering results, will continue to contribute to Hino Trucks' future success."