Mazda Chief Takashi Yamanouchi to Open 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show With Motor Press Guild Keynote

LOS ANGELES, October 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Takashi Yamanouchi, Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer for Mazda Motor Corporation, will kick off the Los Angeles Auto Show Press Days with the Motor Press Guild (MPG) keynote address on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. The MPG presentation and Yamanouchi's address are open to all credentialed media attending the show's Press Days Nov. 16 and 17.  A Q-and-A session will be part of the event.

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Yamanouchi, who has been with Mazda for more than four decades and has served three years as CEO, will offer a frontline perspective of lessons learned in the aftermath of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, as well as how the automotive industry is adapting in the midst of rapidly changing economic conditions around the world.  

"Mazda is a unique, engineering-focused company that has blazed its own path to success," said Laura Burstein, Motor Press Guild president.  "We look forward to hearing what Yamanouchi-san has to say about the current state of the automotive industry."

This will be the 13th year the MPG presentation has opened the L.A. Auto Show Press Days. Preceding the keynote speech will be a welcome address from Mitch Bainwol, the newly-named president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW

As the first major North American auto show of the season, the 2011 LA Auto Show will host some of the industry's most important new vehicle debuts and set the tone for the rest of the year. Press Days are Nov. 16 and 17, open Nov. 18-27 for the public. Media registration is now open at http://www.laautoshow.com/Press.html.  To receive the latest show news and information visit http://www.laautoshow.com and follow LA Auto Show on Twitter @LAAutoShow . Join the Auto Show conversation on Facebook at Facebook.com/LosAngelesAutoShow and sign up for alerts at LAAutoShow.com.

ABOUT MPG

The Los Angeles-based Motor Press Guild (MPG) is the largest automotive media association in North America with approximately 800 members. This non-profit trade guild is dedicated to promoting professionalism in automotive journalism through education and information exchange. Members include journalists from print, broadcast, and online outlets as well as public relations representatives, consumer groups and governmental bodies tied to the automotive industry. The organization hosts regular meetings featuring key figureheads in the auto industry and is widely recognized for its annual Dean Batchelor Award program and annual industry MPG Track Day.

For more information on the Motor Press Guild, please visit our website (http://www.motorpressguild.org), Facebook page or Twitter feed (@MotorPressGuild).