Diallo, 48, started his career with American Honda in 2001 and has risen through the sales organization, working on both the Honda and Acura brands in the field and at the Torrance, Calif., headquarters. In 2017, he became senior manager of Acura National Sales, and was promoted to assistant vice president of Acura sales in 2019. In 2021, he assumed the position of vice president of auto operations before stepping into his current role in 2022 of vice president of auto sales.
Part of Gardner’s road map for the future has included the promotion of younger associates.
“It’s very important that the people involved in the decision-making today are going to be around to see how it unfolds,” Gardner told Automotive News in an interview last June, two months after Diallo’s promotion.
“We’re undergoing a great transition and giving many new leaders the opportunity to bring their initiative and enthusiasm to the role,” Gardner said. “We’re thinking much more about succession and the longer-term than we have in the past.”
Gardner joined American Honda in May 2020 as executive vice president of automobile sales, overseeing sales and marketing activities of the Honda and Acura brands. He also served as the executive vice president of parts, service and technical operations.
Two months later, as part of a corporate restructuring, he became executive vice president of national operations.
In January 2021, he took over the newly formed Marketing and Customer Experience business unit. That spring, his scope widened again to include product planning, market research, vehicle quality assurance and vehicle distribution and logistics.
Gardner holds seats on American Honda’s board of directors and on the Honda North American Regional Operating Board. Replacements on each board will be determined based on other organizational changes, according to Jessica Fini, a spokeswoman for American Honda.
