Isuzu product approach cemented with Sakhaie appointment

Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) has announced the promotion of Matt Sakhaie to Chief of Product, as part of a strategic push to elevate its product approach with an all-new vehicle range hitting Australian shores from 2025.

Mr Sakhaie joins the brand’s highly experienced executive team after first joining IAL back in 2010.

He brings vast experience across a number of areas of the business; including Isuzu’s broader engineering division, time spent at the helm of the off-highway Isuzu Power Solutions team and in more recent times, the brand-wide product portfolio.

In an evolution of his previous role, Mr Sakhaie now leads IAL’s growing Product division, having carriage of the entire Australian portfolio and its future direction.

The Product division’s remit includes both product development and homologation engineering, and in-house, second stage manufacturing, all managed on-site at IAL’s Melbourne-based Product Development Centre (PDC) and Isuzu Production Centre (IPC).

“We deliver a huge range of truck models and variants to a diverse range of customers across light, medium and heavy-duty requirements,” said IAL Director and Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Harbison. 

“It’s a massive task, and one that we expect to become increasingly more complex in the coming years.

“In this respect, Matt’s experience of the industry and IAL’s business is invaluable, and his promotion reflects this.”

IAL has built an enviable reputation for offering a road transport solution for just about every trade application, industry or sector in the Australian market.

This is not only due to having an extensive model line-up, but also outstanding engineering and technical teams that are constantly developing solutions to ensure customers get the right tool for the job.  

“In 2025, Isuzu will be bringing its first all-new model line-up to the Australian market since 2008,” commented Mr Harbison.

“This has required Matt and the Product division to engage closely with our parent company in Japan and the wider customer network to ensure the right model mix will be heading our way.”

For Mr Sakhaie, Isuzu’s new range represents significant change. However, the philosophy of delivering on customers’ needs remains the same.

“Isuzu has embraced the future of change with a commitment to supply a product range which offers operators compelling features and functionality including advanced safety systems, smarter and more efficient powertrains and ergonomic enhancements.

Matt Sakhaie at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show with Isuzu's Fuel Cell prototype

“We are also proactively working with our parent company, Isuzu Motors Japan, in the market development of fuel-agnostic powertrain platforms including battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell vehicles (FCV),” said Mr Sakhaie.

To address the increasingly complex customer and regulatory requirements, IAL has recently enhanced the product team, among the changes being the appointment of Product Managers, with each responsible for the lifecycle management of specific model ranges.

“This level of ‘pinnacle knowledge,’ ensures that our portfolio of products continues to meet our customers’ needs and we maintain a superior solution offering compared to our competitors,” said Mr Sakhaie.

“The other crucial part is our in-house production capability or second-stage manufacturing. This function adds significant value to our product line-up.

“Whether it is navigating the complexity of advanced technologies or the changing landscape of compliance and regulations, IAL will be confidently at the forefront, providing the very best approach for our customers.”