NGK Spark Plugs has appointed its first-ever non-Japanese Managing Director for the UK and Ireland with Marko Wowczyna taking over the role on April 1. He replaces Tammy Suzuki who has returned to Japan after four years at the helm.

The company has developed its UK and Ireland presence since the early 1980s initially renowned for its high quality spark plugs and subsequently introduced glow plugs and other components successfully including NTK Lambda and other management sensors. NGK is an original equipment supplier to most of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers with whom it works hand-in-hand. The same components are supplied to the aftermarket.

Marko, who has nearly 25 years’ experience in the automotive aftermarket, joined NGK in 2012 as General Manager – Aftermarket, since then he has held a number of senior management positions including those of Automotive Director and Deputy Managing Director.

Marko commented, “I am looking forward to my new role and the opportunities that will open up as NGK continues to expand product ranges and actively seeks new markets for the future. COVID-19 obviously had an impact on the company, particularly at the peak of the first lockdown, but we have been pleasantly surprised and pleased at how quickly the business has recovered. As most companies, we have had to change how we operate the business over the past twelve months and have had to adapt to operate in a more virtual way. Also, along with every other UK business, we have had to deal with BREXIT which has led to an increase in administration and costs.”

Marko added, “We need to be ready for the changes and how as a company we address the pace of change. The move towards electrification is currently driven mainly by the variants of hybrid vehicles (PHEV; HEV or MHEV) where there will still be a need for spark plugs, glow plugs and sensors. We are however not burying our heads in the sand and as a company are actively planning for the future as new technologies have a habit of gaining speed and traction in markets.”

In the past year, on three continents, NGK experts in automotive parts and advanced technical ceramics have been meeting up with prospective business partners to discuss technological advancement in a range of sectors from automotive and medicine, to the environment and energy. These meetings have been taking place at ‘Venture Labs’ in Tokyo, Silicon Valley and Paris which are hubs for collaborative and creative technical thinking.

Damien Germès, Regional President EMEA and President & CEO NGK Europe comments, “By establishing these Venture Labs, we are opening up fresh horizons in new markets where we can make a valuable contribution.  We want to contribute to a sustainable society by creating new businesses in sectors with potential for future growth, such as next-generation vehicles, medical care and environmental energy.”

Marko adds, “We certainly don’t want to lose our traditional core business and values but do not intend to rest on our laurels which is why we have set up the Venture Labs to seek out new ideas and areas of possible business expansion. We have introduced a number of new products over recent years to expand our portfolio and grow our footprint. Later this year we plan to announce another new product.”