ISUZU Australia Limited (IAL) has appointed automotive professional Kylie Barlin as head of innovation.

IAL’s innovation department, which sits within the company’s strategy division, develops new products and services that create value for customers while evolving IAL’s business to maintain its leadership in the Australian truck market.

The company said that Australia’s truck market will experience substantial change over the coming years, including the launch of an all-new Isuzu Trucks model range and Isuzu’s first battery electric vehicle offering for the Australian market.

“Amidst these changes, Ms Barlin brings considerable experience in the automotive sector across enterprise strategy, corporate planning, ESG, distributor engagement and transformation,” IAL said in a statement.

Kylie Barlin

“Her experience includes previous key roles at Toyota Finance and Toyota Motor Asia Pacific.”

Ms Barlin said: “With so much change afoot, it is not just about moving the metal, but also working to support the scale of industry transformation that’s coming ahead.

“Key to this is delivering the type of projects that ensure Isuzu continues to set the standard for the industry well into the future.”

As head of innovation, Ms Barlin will work closely with IAL chief of strategy Grant Cooper, identifying new opportunities for Isuzu and its national dealer network, while delivering industry-best outcomes for its customers.

“The trucking industry as we know it is changing, and it is imperative that we are on the front foot not only with the right product but ensuring our business can support it and our customers for years to come,” Mr Cooper said.

“Isuzu is not content to rest on past laurels, with the evolution of our business a major focus going forward.

“We are very confident Kylie is the right person to bring an even greater focus on delivering significant value for our customers – during this transformative period and well into the future.”

The Isuzu brand plans to keep gathering feedback and creating innovative solutions to address Australian road transport challenges, an approach IAL says has been a key contributor to its long-held market leadership here.

“Isuzu has been very successful leading the Australian truck market for 35 years with a business that has the customer at its core, and I feel this is a great advantage,” Ms Barlin said.

“However, there is a driving need to evolve with the significant technological changes coming at us, and to see how we can structure products and services that are best fit for future road transport and the applications of Australian businesses.

“The strong activity that IAL has underway to cater to this is evident across the organisation and I’m excited about the future prospects for the company, our business partners and customers.”