With plenty of changes in the works and opportunities on the horizon, we sat down with Honda's new GM to chat about what’s next for the brand... Interview: Kellie Buckley
After a decade away, Chris Schultz is back with Honda Australia, as GM of Power Sports and Products. At a moment of change and opportunity, we caught up with Chris to hear where the brand’s headed, what riders can expect and why it’s good to be back.
Schultz first joined Honda in 2008, starting out in the marine and power equipment division. While motorcycles weren’t his formal remit back then, they were always part of his story.
After a 12-year hiatus, Chris Schultz has returned to Honda Australia as General Manager of Power Sports and Products, replacing long-time industry figure Tony Hinton. With both motorcycles and power equipment under his watchful eye, Schultz steps into the role at a time of what he hopes to be meaningful change.
“I’ve always had a passion for bikes. I bought my first bike at 18″…
Schultz first joined Honda in 2008, starting out in the marine and power equipment division. While motorcycles weren’t his formal remit back then, they were always part of his story. “I’ve always had a passion for bikes. I bought my first bike at 18 — a GSX-R — and rode it home even though my mum had said no. Let’s just say it was a short conversation,” he laughs.
After five years with Honda and a 12-year stint at Nissan Australia in sales, marketing and aftersales roles, Schultz says the move back to two wheels felt right. “I’m genuinely excited to be back in this part of the business. It’s more passion-driven than cars. The people who ride, or who use Honda power products, they really care about what they’re using. It’s good to be around that again”.
Schultz’s return to Honda coincides with one of the most significant leadership transitions in the company’s local history. With Jay Joseph — the first American to lead Honda Australia — now in the top job, and several senior appointments across the board, there’s a clear sense of change in the air. “Now we’ve got Jay and Carolyn McMahon’s gone to lead Honda New Zealand, [replacing] Nobu Sonoda’s [who’s] moved across to Australia – it’s more or less a brand-new board.”
That fresh start represents a shift not just in personnel, but in philosophy and the potential it can bring. “Jay and Carolyn are two of the first presidents, basically, that are non-Japanese, globally,” Schultz says. “Honda is moving a little more in that direction. “There’s a bit more of a license to test and learn, to step outside the comfort zone,” he adds. “Jay brings a different style; he’s really engaged, has strong product experience and he’s doing a lot of dealer visits, which I think says a lot.
“It’s kind of exciting, actually. We’ve got a whole new leadership team across auto, motorcycles, power, and there’s this window where we can try things and see what sticks”.
For Schultz, who’s stepping into his own new chapter at the same time, the timing couldn’t be better. “It’s probably a little easier, doing it together,” he says. “We’re all still coming up to speed, but there’s energy in that. It feels like we’ve got permission to think differently”.
Just nine weeks into the role, Schultz is focused on understanding the lay of the land, from internal structure to dealer sentiment. “My job right now is to ask questions. What are we doing well? Where are we falling short? How can we make it easier for dealers and better for customers?”.
And while motorcycles and power equipment follow different cycles, Schultz says both are really core to the Honda brand. “We are looking at everything that we do that is dealer and customer facing to understand if that is the best way to do it, this means asking many questions of stakeholders, consideration of the viewpoints and then how do we move forward”.
“I’ve always loved bikes, but I’m probably coming at this with a slightly different lens”…
Schultz isn’t shy about the weight of following in Tony Hinton’s footsteps, a figure synonymous with Honda Motorcycles in Australia for more than two decades. “It’s always a little daunting following someone that has quite a legacy in the industry,” he says. “Tony’s got a long legacy and his family have always been involved in racing. That’s something I’m probably never going to have. “I’ve always loved bikes, but I’m probably coming at this with a slightly different lens”.
Honda are not ready to leave the 1000cc superbike scene just yet, with the 2025 CBR1000RR-R SP ready to take on the Italians.
Rather than trying to replicate his predecessor’s legacy, Schultz says he’s focused on building trust, both within his team and across the industry. “At Honda, firstly I’d like my legacy to be that I was a nice guy to work with. I think you can have lots of goals, but having respect amongst the team and working with them — that matters”.
He also sees a bigger picture in play. “Working with the industry to push things forward — that’s something I’d like to contribute to. Not just Honda, but helping motorcycling be a more recognised part of the mobility conversation in Australia”.
2025 Honda EV Urban concept
One of the first things Schultz raised at his debut Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) meeting was the missed opportunity motorcycling represents in solving Australia’s urban congestion problems. “I think we’ve got a huge opportunity with scooters and commuters”, he says. “As an industry, we’re not strong enough in our voice with government; they don’t really see us as part of the solution”.
A daily cyclist himself, Schultz draws the comparison with e-bikes that often exceed scooter speeds yet require no licensing, training or insurance. “There are kids riding high-powered bikes with throttles and no idea how to control them. Meanwhile, we’ve got safe, fuel-efficient learner bikes that are being buried in red tape. That’s a legislative problem”.
He sees advocacy as a shared responsibility — one he’s eager to push further in his role. “As an industry, we need to be louder about the benefits of smaller bikes, especially in cities. We need to help the government develop some type of legislation. It’s not just about Honda, it’s about getting more people on the right kind of machines, safely”.
“If you could buy an electric scooter for the same price as petrol, I think you’d see adoption. But we’re not quite there yet”…
It’s not surprising then, that Schultz sees real momentum in the commuter and LAMS segments, especially with bikes like the CB650 and the brand’s E-Clutch-equipped models. “At the moment, the demand on those bikes is huge. We’ve gone from 80 per cent standard and 20 per cent E-Clutch to all the demand being E-Clutch,” he says.
Part of that shift, he suggests, comes from changing rider demographics and the ongoing influx of learners and returnees. “We’ve got so many new LAMS riders coming through — people who didn’t grow up with bikes. The E-Clutch is like a quickshifter both ways, but without the need for a clutch lever at all. I think a lot of riders are surprised by how much they like it once they try it”.
That simplicity, combined with Honda’s existing strengths in urban mobility and middleweight machines, positions the brand well — especially as riders look for a balance of tech, comfort and confidence.
Asked about electric motorcycles, Schultz is cautiously open-minded. “If you could buy an electric scooter for the same price as petrol, I think you’d see adoption. But we’re not quite there yet”, he says. “I think it makes sense for commuters, fun bikes, but for long-distance riders like me, it’s not ready”.
That said, Honda’s clean-energy roadmap spans more than motorcycles. Shared battery tech already exists in Japan across scooters and power equipment — and Australia could one day benefit. “There’s definitely work going on to create ecosystems like shared battery formats that could apply across both divisions. But globally, everyone’s still figuring it out”.
Outside of work, Schultz still rides whenever he can — and isn’t shy about his affection for old cars and long weekends. “My riding nowadays, because I’ve got two young kids, is weekends away. Every couple of months I’ll do a ride and clock up 1400 kilometres over a weekend,” he says.
Schultz found out about the role just two days before he and his family flew out for a family trip to Patagonia. “I found out about the job two days before we flew out,” he says. “We planned to take long service leave as my son started high school this year and we wanted to take them overseas on an adventure”.
They travelled through Mount Fitzroy, Torres del Paine, and the southernmost reaches of South America — a trip made even more memorable by a chance encounter that hinted at what was to come. “We saw some Australian guys doing a tour on motorbikes and thought, oh, I’ve got to come back and do that ride myself”…
Leadership Changes
Honda recently implemented a significant leadership reshuffle across its Australasian operations, marking a new era for the brand in the region.
Jay Joseph was appointed CEO and Director of Honda Australia, replacing Yoshitaka Okamoto, who returned to Japan to take on a senior motorsport role. Joseph brought with him more than 27 years of experience at American Honda, most recently serving as Vice President.
Carolyn McMahon, previously Vice President and Director at Honda Australia, took up the role of Managing Director at Honda New Zealand on 1 April 2025. She became the first woman to hold the top job at Honda NZ, following a career that included leading the unification of Honda Australia’s automotive and motorcycle operations.
Nobuya Sonoda, who had served as Managing Director of Honda New Zealand since 2014, moved across to Honda Australia as Director of Business Services and New Business Program. Sonoda, who joined Honda NZ in 2002, is now supporting Honda Australia’s broader electrification strategy and future-facing initiatives.
Read our Honda reviews, check out our Honda videos and other content here…
The Author
You Might Also Like
