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From its newly established National training center to its local assembly plant in West Java, Eurokars Motor Indonesia Chief Operating Officer Ricky Thio is steering Mazda Indonesia’s human-centric future
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Walk through any major auto show floor and you will inevitably be bombarded by the same noise: escalating horsepower claims, sprawling infotainment screens and aggressive sales targets. In an industry increasingly seduced by digital spec sheets, Eurokars Motor Indonesia COO Ricky Thio prefers a quieter, more radical metric. For him, an automobile is never a simple gadget or a trophy meant to collect dust in a garage.
“If a collector says, ‘I have five Mazdas in my garage, but my chauffeur drives me around every day,’ that misses the point,” Ricky notes. “For the brand’s magic to work, it has to be the person directly involved in driving the car every single day. For Mazda, the Joy of Driving is not the destination. It is the beginning of the Joy of Living.”
Ricky did not take a conventional route to the automotive C-suite. Holding academic degrees in finance, accounting and e-commerce, he unexpectedly entered the industry on the showroom floor as a salesman back in 2002. That frontline start instilled a deep appreciation for what actually resonates with a driver on an emotional level, shaping his leadership strategy as Mazda navigates a transformative era in Southeast Asia.
Nowhere is this human-first philosophy more evident than at the Mazda Indonesia Training Centre in the PIK 2 area on Jakarta’s western fringe. Operational since April, the state-of-the-art facility represents a deliberate shift away from superficial marketing toward genuine human equity. While competitors race to list technical features, Ricky insists that staff master something far harder to quantify: Omotenashi, the subtle art of Japanese hospitality.
“Anyone can print out a PDF spec sheet with length, width and height,” Ricky explains. “Spelling out specifications is easy, but specifications cannot tell you everything. You and I both have two hands and two eyes, but our individual value is completely different. A budget car might offer airbags too, but our emphasis is never just on the number of airbags. It is always about human-centric engineering.”
At the PIK 2 facility, technicians and sales consultants are trained from the ground up to understand Mazda’s foundational values. “I want our sales consultants and managers to be storytellers,” Ricky says. “They need to be authentic brand ambassadors who can articulate design heritage and driving philosophy rather than just reading off a spec sheet.”
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This focus on nurturing local talent ties directly into Mazda’s broader commitment to Indonesia. Following the recent inauguration of its new local assembly plant in West Java, the brand is shifting from merely importing vehicles to building a long-term manufacturing presence in the country. The move aligns with government initiatives while signaling a long-term vote of confidence in local workforce capabilities.
“We operate in the middle of the premium class, but we are deeply serious about Indonesia,” Ricky says. “Investing in our own assembly plant gives confidence to both the public and our own employees that we are here for the long term. Today we may plan for one model, but in the future, we can expand to two, three or four models.”
That long-term vision comes into sharp focus with the arrival of the Mazda 6e Fastback, a key highlight of Mazda’s evolving lineup. As the automotive world accelerates toward electric mobility, luxury buyers frequently worry that electric vehicles sacrifice emotional character for silent efficiency. Ricky is quick to dismiss that compromise.
“The Mazda 6e Fastback is 100 percent designed by Mazda,” Ricky asserts. “We ensured that Jinba-Ittai remains fully intact, so drivers immediately feel that signature Mazda character. Jinba-Ittai means the car behaves predictably and provides feedback to the driver. If a wild horse is running recklessly, a mounted archer cannot shoot accurately. Speed alone is not Jinba-Ittai. The car must understand and respond harmoniously to the driver.”
Ultimately, Ricky’s leadership philosophy comes down to a simple personal motto. “Stay true to your own will,” he emphasizes. “Don’t become a wannabe of Brand A or Brand B. When I was younger, I wanted to be Superman. But as you mature, you learn to stay true to who you are.”
Under his leadership, Eurokars Motor Indonesia is carving out a distinct, uncompromising path. “We are not a mass-market volume outlet, nor are we attempting to be something we are not,” Ricky concludes. “We offer our own distinct value. Grounding technological progress in local talent, local manufacturing and meaningful ownership experiences is how we ensure every journey begins with human purpose.”

Eurokars Motor Indonesia COO Ricky Thio explains how Mazda puts human emotion at the center of modern automotive luxury

Mazda,

Mazda Indonesia,

Ricky Thio