Antonio “Toti” Zara III reported for his first day as a parts engineer in long sleeves and a tie. His clothes did not match the assignment.

He returned the next day in a white t-shirt with the company logo and took his place at the final stop of the assembly line. His job required him to understand how a vehicle came together before it reached the customer.

“I was told, ‘That’s your work station,’ the final stop of the assembly line,” he recalled in a 2016 interview.

He spent about 10 years on that side of the company, with responsibilities in production, parts and technical service. Even his courtship carried signs of the job.

Zara visited the woman who would become his wife in his service jumpsuit until her father asked him to arrive in something else.

“I courted my wife in my jumpsuit,” Zara said. “He asked me not to visit in my overalls.”

The engineer from the assembly line later took on senior posts in the Philippines and other Asian markets. His career covered production, technical service, sales, distribution and dealer operations.

He learned the business from the plant floor before leading teams that had to sell vehicles, build networks and answer directly to customers.

Now, Zara leads VinFast Southeast Asia as its chief executive officer after coming out of retirement. The assignment places him in a growing battery electric vehicle market where buyers have become more curious, though many still ask practical questions about charging, service, battery performance and resale value.

His return reminded sideliners of basketball great Michael Jordan coming back from retirement. Both of them had stepped away, yet each chose to return to the work he knew best.

Zara had spoken about his preference for active automotive work years before VinFast. In 2020, when he left a holding-company role to return to daily operations, he explained why he wanted to be closer to the business.

“I miss the action,” Zara said.

“I’m a car guy who enjoys building brands, working on cars, meeting customers and establishing dealer networks,” he added. “I’m like a player who wants to be in the game instead of coaching from the bench.”

Those remarks referred to an earlier career decision, but they help explain why he later chose to return once more. VinFast offered another demanding assignment as the company expanded its work across Southeast Asia.

His preference for active work was matched by a direct view of leadership. While heading a Japanese automaker in the Philippines, Zara said he wanted to do things differently rather than settle for small improvements.

“I don’t want to just do things better, I want to do things differently,” he said.

He later brought the same thinking to a Philippine automotive group, where he argued that customer experience deserved more attention.

“We will innovate and redefine processes because the Filipino consumer deserves better,” Zara added. “There is no reason why customer experience should be any less than our ASEAN neighbors.”

His view of digital sales went beyond websites, advertisements and virtual showrooms.

“The customer is now at the center and not our products or promotional messages,” he said.

Those remarks came years before his VinFast role, but they speak directly to the job he has now. A new brand can attract interest through design, technology and price, but Filipino buyers also want to know what happens after the purchase.

They want a dealer they can reach, a service team that can answer questions and a company that can support the vehicle for years.

Zara’s interest in electric vehicles also predates VinFast. In 2022, he called on the Philippines to find its own place in the regional electric vehicle industry instead of trying to duplicate the manufacturing strengths of Thailand and Indonesia.

“I suggest that we create our own niche,” he told reporters. “Let’s identify what these markets are producing or what (they) will be producing, and then let’s define a niche that can fill the requirements of the Philippines.”

He also pressed the government to complete the implementing rules for the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA). The law had set a direction, he said, but companies needed specific guidelines before they could prepare plans and commit resources.

His comments showed that his support for electric vehicles did not begin with his present company. He had already been discussing manufacturing, regulation, dealer networks and affordability before Filipino buyers had the range of battery electric vehicles now available.

When asked about the issue from the buyer’s side since most electrified vehicles sold in the Philippines were still hybrids and how they can persuade Filipino buyers to commit to a fully electric vehicle, Zara stated the obvious.

“Accessibility and reassurance,” he replied.

“We will make EV ownership simpler so buyers do not have to worry about long-term battery costs. We will also work with third-party accredited workshops to make the service more convenient. These steps help reduce risks and clear the doubts that people have about EVs.”

The Vietnamese automaker has since introduced a broad electric vehicle lineup in the Philippines, from the compact VF 3 to larger sport utility vehicles. It has also built ownership programs around concerns that often hold buyers back.

Its Residual Value Guarantee offers qualified owners a maximum guaranteed value equal to 90 percent of the original price after six months. The figure falls to 86 percent after one year, 78 percent after two years and 70 percent after three years, subject to inspection and eligibility requirements.

“With a residual value guarantee of up to 90 percent of the vehicle’s list price, VinFast aims to make EV ownership more accessible and reassuring for Filipino consumers,” Zara said.

VinFast has paired the guarantee with vehicle warranties of up to 10 years, free charging through partner V-Green, financing arrangements, technical support and roadside assistance. The company has also worked with new financing partners and trade-in programs as it tries to make the switch easier for buyers.

These programs address questions that cannot be answered by a test drive alone. Customers need to know what support they will receive after taking the vehicle home and whether the ownership costs will remain manageable over time.

True enough, Zara’s experience across production, technical service, sales and dealer operations gives him a practical view of how to keep that growth moving.

He once said he missed the action and preferred to remain close to the business. Leading VinFast Southeast Asia returned him to that work he had known for most of his life.

After all these years, Zara remains, in his own words, “a car guy,” driven by the work of leading people and building brands that customers can trust.