SHINING MOMENT — Chery Auto’s new boss Froilan Dytianquin is built for tough times

They say that it is during tough times when a good leader shines. And the darker the times, the brighter it shines.

That's what car executive Froilan Dytianquin went through late 2015. A spate of vehicle accidents happened due to alleged "sudden unintended acceleration" or SUA involving the Montero Sport, one of the best-selling SUV models of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp.

Video clips of crashes and testimony of those driving the SUV were just too alarming to ignore that, eventually, the House and Senate were prompted to hold their respective televised "inquiry in aid of legislation."

The difficult task of explaining the side of MMPC on the issue fell on the lap of Dytianquin, then the first vice president for marketing of the Japanese subsidiary.

But he was a picture of composure and clarity during that difficult time, calmly explaining to the media and legislators that, from a technical viewpoint, it is not possible for the Montero Sport to be involved in accidents caused by SUA.

Perhaps due to Dytianquin's transparency and full cooperation with investigators throughout the controversy, MMPC (even at the height of negative criticisms against it) posted a 50-percent increase in vehicle sales in January 2016.

Montero Sport SUV remained popular among buyers in the succeeding months and years. "I believe that you cannot really put a good product down," says Dytianquin who is now the newly appointed managing director of Chery Auto Philippines.

The SUA issue was finally resolved in 2017, when the result of a third-party investigation, commissioned by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. of Japan, showed that the alleged SUA incidents were likely due to "pedal misapplication."

Sometimes it's easy for people working in a company to lose morale when controversies happen especially involving the buying public.

"But it is always strong leadership that pulls businesses out of crisis situations. Like Sir Froi, he was visible and clear in communicating the side of the company," remembers Chery Auto Philippines marketing director Rosemary Cruz.

Cruz was also with Dytianquin at MMPC during that period.

"He (Dytianquin) also made sure that we were aware of the reality of the situation, and immediately came up with plans to help our team create the necessary strategies and objectives aimed at solving the problem we were facing."

Having spent the bulk of his career with the Japanese subsidiary for more than 25 years, Dytianquin later moved in 2019 to Sojitz G Auto Philippines, the exclusive distributor of Chinese brand Geely.

His challenge at the time was to convince the Philippine market to take a second look at Chinese automobiles that have vastly improved in terms of design, technology and features.

In July, Dytianquin faced a new challenge when he was asked to lead Chery Auto Philippines to a new era of aggressive growth and transformation.

It's like starting over for him as he focuses on an emerging brand like Chery.

His over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry is expected to elevate the Chery brand and give its customers a legitimate, competitive, worry-free end-to-end ownership.

He believes that the Chery brand's growth has been outstanding, despite having limited models. Dytianquin says that with Chery Auto, he plans to exceed the success that he was able to do with other brands that he handled.

"Under my leadership, I aim to focus on managing dealer engagement, rapid network expansion, proper product engagement, and promotions. We will also continue to build on Chery Auto Philippines' strength which is after-sales. As you know, Chery has been offering an industry-leading warranty which signifies Chery's confidence in its vehicles."

Dytianquin relates that in the coming months, Chery Auto will be aiming to build a user-centered product that optimizes one's driving experience using intelligent features.

"If you want to grow, you've got to claw market share from your competitors," says Dytianquin.

To make this possible, he is currently busy inviting new dealer groups to accelerate Chery Auto's network expansion. With the recent addition of five more dealer groups that could strengthen Chery Auto's presence in Pampanga, Fairview, Calamba, Rizal, Marikina, Cabanatuan and Imus.

Yet Dytianquin says he is just warming up.