ISUZU Australia Limited (IAL) is strengthening its product development team and has appointed engineer Nicholas Soitaridis as the head of product development and homologation engineering.

Australia’s biggest-selling truck brand said the appointment follows a strategic shake-up of its engineering services to “meet growing customer demand and navigate the complex path of vehicle compliance”.

Since joining IAL in 2016, Mr Soitaridis has held a variety of roles within the engineering and product development space, spanning both the truck division and the off-highway Isuzu Power Solutions (IPS) business unit.

Isuzu’s Melbourne-based Engineering Services division plays a critical role in local product development, overseeing homologation engineering and Australian Design Rule (ADR) compliance, while also working closely with customers to deliver tailored vehicle and power solutions builds that meet the highest engineering standards.

Nicholas Soitaridis

The company’s Product Department is also responsible for complex, industry specific builds such as the ‘dual control FVY’ models for the waste and refuse industry, spanning both the current fleet and the upcoming MY25 release.

IAL chief of product Matt Sakhaie said the changes have been rolled out over some time but now culminate at a pivotal time for IAL. ​

“With new truck models on the horizon, there’s a great deal of activity underway, and we expect demand for engineering services to grow significantly as customers begin taking delivery of a range of new products,” Mr Sakhaie said.

“We’ve also seen strong growth in demand for our IPS products, so aligning these two areas of the business made strategic sense.

“Nicholas brings valuable experience across both domains and now leads a highly skilled team of engineers poised to further elevate IAL’s capabilities.”

Mr Soitaridis said the updated structure will prioritise support for the new truck variants while continuing to assist customers with existing product lines. ​

“This is an exciting opportunity, and I’m proud to lead such a talented team of engineers,” said Mr Soitaridis.

“Our department has been involved in the development of Isuzu’s all new model line-up for nearly two years, overseeing a range of homologation requirements and implementing localised engineering specific solutions to meet the unique needs of the Australian market.

“Each vehicle is designed to meet the challenges of Australian operating conditions – whether that’s the roads or the environment. That’s the core focus of our work.

“From a compliance and homologation standpoint, we’re also continuing to support the current model through to the conclusion of its product lifecycle.

“Our Power Solutions range has become a vital part of the Isuzu business, and our customers continue to benefit not only from a comprehensive range of engine options but also the engineering expertise we provide to maximise product capabilities across this space.”