Geoffrey Debono, CEO of the Debono Group, local agents for Toyota, has been sworn in as honorary consul-general of Japan following an official letter of appointment from the Japanese Ambassador in Italy, Oe Hiroshi.
During a short ceremony, Debono said he was humbled to have been given this opportunity to further develop Malta’s economic and cultural relationship with Japan.
“My family’s relationship with this country dates back to 1960, when my late father, Michael Debono, imported the first Toyota vehicle in Malta and in Europe. Since then, our relationship with Toyota has grown from strength to strength. My personal experience working and interacting with the Japanese through my many visits over the years has always been one of loyalty, respect and hard work and I look at this role as my opportunity to give back.”
Our relationship with Toyota has grown from strength to strength
Debono took charge of MDL, a subsidiary of the group, at the age of 21 in 2005 following his father’s passing, thus inevitably taking over the representative company of Toyota Motor Corporation in Malta. Upon taking on his role as CEO, Debono recruited experienced personnel to form his own management team to run the company’s day-to-day operations.
He has pushed for innovation in mobility, not only keeping in line with Toyota’s vision as it introduced hybrid and electric vehicles to the international market. Together with his team, they have been at the forefront of improved mobility solutions through ridesharing business COOL.
There have been a number of milestones over the last 10 years: Toyota is a leading car brand; MDL has retained its position as a leading brand, especially in terms of customer satisfaction; the building of a new Toyota retail concept showroom; and the setting up of a fully-fledged body repair centre which uses the latest technologies on the market.
Debono is a business and entrepreneurship graduate from the University of Malta and London Business School. He is an active member in the Malta Chapter of Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) and won the Outstanding Young Person Award for 2008’s Business, Economic and/or Entrepreneurial accomplishment from Junior Chamber International.
Hiroshi was present for the ceremony, along with the Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, Brigadier Clinton O’Neil, Debono’s family members and representatives from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.