Acura design director Jon Ikeda promoted VP and General Manager for North America

cover image: Jon Ikeda and the 2007 Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept

Ikeda succeeds Michael J. Accavitti, who had been with American Honda since 2011, and who led Acura since April 2014. Accavitti is no longer with the company.

About Jon Ikeda

Ikeda holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Ikeda was formerly Division Director of Auto Design at Honda R&D Americas, Inc. (HRA). He began his career at Honda in Japan in 1989, joining the advanced design studio in Tokyo, where he worked on the award-winning Honda FSX show car.

After six years in Japan, he returned to Los Angeles in 1995, to continue his career at Honda R&D in Torrance, California.

Ikeda has been actively involved in numerous production and research related projects for both Honda and Acura vehicles, including leading the design team for the 2004 Acura TL, the best-selling Acura model of all time. He was instrumental in the creation of the Acura Design Studio in 2006, a facility exclusively devoted to Acura vehicle design. He also led the Product Planning Division at HRA.

Official Statements

“Jon Ikeda brings tremendous knowledge and talent to Acura. From deep R&D experience with the brand, he has emerged as the ultimate advocate for Acura and has built a record of solid achievement and success,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc, and leader of both the Honda and Acura Automobile Divisions.

“The Acura brand is enjoying a great deal of positive momentum with the most competitive luxury SUVs in the business, a revitalized sedan line-up, and a clear path forward,” said Mendel.

(Source: Acura via Autoblog.com)