Mitsubishi, SA Chamber of Mines and Energy appoint new CEOs
Mitsubishi Motors has chosen a veteran insider to lead its Australian operations from Adelaide, while SA’s peak mining industry group has also picked its new CEO.
Japanese automotive giant Mitsubishi Motors has chosen one of its long-standing sales executives to take the reins of its Australia operations.
Shunichi Kihara will take up the role of chief executive at Mitsubishi Motors Australia (MMAL) on January 5, replacing Shaun Westcott, who led MMAL for more than five years before his resignation in September.
Mr Kihara is currently division general manager of the company’s Oceania and North Asia division. He has also held global sales roles during his 34 year career with the automaker.
MMAL chairman John Signoriello said Mr Kihara brought significant “experience and leadership” to the role.
“We are confident that he will play a critical role in realising our shared vision of long-term success of the Mitsubishi Motors brand in Australia.”
Mr Westcott has been one of the state’s leading executives, and was regularly featured in The Advertiser’s Power 100 list of the state’s most influential people.
The leadership transition comes amid a shake up of Australia’s automotive sector, marked by the influx of Chinese manufacturers into the local market and new fuel efficiency standards introduced earlier this year.
According to the FCAI’s latest VFACTS data, Mitsubishi sold 52,364 vehicles in Australia in the first 10 months of 2025, down 16.3 per cent from the same time last year. It remains the sixth biggest brand behind Toyota, Ford, Mazda, Kia and Hyundai.
But the Chinese manufacturers are closing in, with GWM, BYD and MG all featuring in the top 10 brands sold in the domestic market.
Mr Kihara said: “Mitsubishi Motors has been a strong and trusted brand in Australia for 45 years, and together we will build on that legacy to drive it into the future.”
In other corporate appointments, the South Australian Chamber of Mines & Energy (SACOME) has appointed Catherine Mooney as its new chief executive.
Ms Mooney has more than 25 years’ experience in energy, mining and local government, including her most recent role as head of strategic communications at AGL.
Before her 10-plus years with the energy giant, she worked as a consultant and has also held roles in external affairs and change management at BHP.
She begins on December 2, taking over from Nicola McFarlane who has served as SACOME’s interim chief executive since Rebecca Knol’s departure in August.
Ms Mooney said the state’s resources sector was a “powerhouse of growth, contributing significantly to the state’s economy and employing tens of thousands of South Australians”.
“I look forward to meeting with all our members and working together to advocate for the advancement of the sector,” she said.
“Their success underpins our local economy and is critical to realising South Australia’s full potential as a global leader in the shift to sustainable energy and resources.”
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Originally published as Mitsubishi, SA Chamber of Mines and Energy appoint new CEOs
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