GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Engines Division of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., has expanded the role of Karen Howard, a long-time executive. She becomes director, dealer sales support and marketing. The change is parting of the company’s recent trend toward aligning internal responsibilities with an enhanced and simplified customer experience.

In her broadened role, Howard will now also oversee the company’s all-important logistics operations, which has a highly interdependent relationship with the dealer sales function.

Nelson Wilner, divisional vice president, said “This provides Kawasaki with an increased level of service support by seamlessly integrating key components of our customer-facing experience. It reflects our ongoing efforts to strengthen both the overall and one-on-one relationships that are key to our corporate approach.” 

Howard continues to have management responsibility for marketing, order services, inside sales, dealer development, and sales communications. As part of her responsibilities she will focus more of her attention on the application of internal processes to the company’s stated goal of customer satisfaction.

“I’m looking forward to both the opportunities and the challenges attached to this new position, and I’m fortunate to be able to work more closely with Paul Feorene, our senior manager of logistics,” said Howard. She continued, “So much of what we do naturally has implications for other functions within the same general area, and Kawasaki is intent on continually making dealer-focused improvements.”

Howard began her career with Kawasaki in 1992 and has held numerous positions with company. According to Wilner, the breadth of her specific assignments makes her a uniquely qualified executive to assume this new role.