Giri venkatesh

General manager, brand management Lexus Asia Pacific

STORY JEREMY CHUA

ONE would imagine that a high-level automotive industry executive would have lived and breathed cars since he was a kid. His childhood dreams would have included being a racecar driver, engineer or car designer.

Giri Venkatesh, however, isn’t your stereotypical high-level auto industry exec. The 40-year-old Malaysian recounts that, as a child, his ambition was to join the air force and become a fighter pilot. Unfortunately, his family’s objections prevented him from pursuing his dream.

In 1997, after earning a degree in Business Administration in London, Giri returned to Malaysia, where one of his friends convinced him to apply as a management trainee at UMW Toyota, the official distributor and assembler of Toyota vehicles in Malaysia.

In 2003, he became involved with Lexus when he moved to Toyota Motor Asia Pacific (TMAP) in Singapore.

Since then, he has been working with the brand’s affiliates across the region. In 2013, he was part of the team that launched Lexus Vietnam. Giri was originally planning to work at Toyota for three years. After almost two decades with the carmaker, he tells Torque about the cars he has grown to love, and how he foresees Lexus growing as a performance brand.

What was your first assignment in Toyota?
It was in product planning. But I told management that I preferred being in sales operations because I wanted to “get my hands dirty”. So I was transferred to national sales operations. That eventually led to a position managing dealerships.

What were your biggest challenges in sales operations?
The biggest one was the Asian Financial Crisis. It was the steepest learning curve anyone can go through. Our sales were down 90 percent and we were only selling 2000 cars a month. I would go to work every day wondering if it would be the day I would be retrenched. But the company pulled through, and the experience made me understand how difficult the car business can be – at rock bottom.

Which of the region’s markets is the most complicated?
Generally speaking, every market in Asia has its own difficulty. Singapore, for instance, has its COE system. Vietnam may be a booming market, but it’s complicated with regard to government regulations and taxes. Then you have the Philippines, which to me is an outlier. It’s the only market in Southeast Asia where bigger displacement engines are welcome. Models with 3-litre engines sell very well there.

Malaysia is our biggest market in terms of volume. But there are still difficulties because of the support for their local car industry. So I can’t say that one market is more complicated than the other.

What’s been the most interesting aspect of your job?
It’s the customers I meet. I have met brilliant and inspiring people. I’ve also met down-toearth people who you never thought would buy a luxury car. One example of this was a customer in Malaysia who bought a Lexus LS, and came back two weeks later to buy another. To us, every person who comes into contact with Lexus must be treated with the utmost respect.

Why did it take so long for Lexus to launch a turbocharged engine?
The 2-litre turbocharged engine took 10 years to come to fruition because it was completely developed in-house. We wanted to ensure that we test it right, and deliver high quality and durability. Then we had to find the right model and introduce it at the right time. That came with the NX crossover. It was also the right time in terms of demand – customers wanted us to launch this car.

Now that you have a turbocharged engine, does this mean the end of the larger, naturally aspirated motors for Lexus?
The answer to that lies with the LC500, which is powered by a naturally aspirated 5-litre V8. It proves we’re not giving up on naturally aspirated motors yet.

But at the same time, we respect and understand the needs of those who want turbocharged cars. Maybe we’ll see both types of engines running parallel. Who knows?

Do you think brand awareness for Lexus has improved?
Yes, especially after the launch of the RC and RC F coupes. They are emotionally appealing cars that have raised the awareness for the brand in the region. The growth in sales we experienced is evidence. But at the end of the day, we’re not in this game for the volume. We don’t want to be the biggest. We want to be the best.

After all this time, which cars have you grown to love?
If I could only own one car, then it would be the Lexus LC500. I think it is a gem. But I really want to own three cars – the 1968 Toyota Corolla, Lexus LS400 and LC500!

Why the first-gen LS?
It’s a reminder of what kicked off the Lexus brand. If you put the LS400 beside the LC500, you can see how the brand evolved.

You mentioned your love of fighter planes. What are some of the aircraft that captured your imagination?
I love the A-4 Skyhawk. But I also have a soft spot for the Sukhois of the old USSR. Maybe it’s because I grew up during the Cold War!