Rie Miyake: A woman leads Honda Cars PH
'I never do things because I am female or even think about that.'
Published Mar 25, 2026 04:36 pm
Rie Miyake, president of Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI), pauses conversation whenever she is introduced. She is the first woman president of HCPI, and in a male-dominated automotive industry, that title is cause for a respectful smile, especially during Women’s Month.
Though the title is heavy with responsibility in a major industry anywhere in the world, Ms. Miyake carries an air of softness, her pleasant smile and firm handshake drawing a stranger into her circle. At first glance, you get where the raised eyebrows are coming from; Ms. Miyake is approachable, yet firm and polite—a figure that can easily unlock guarded motives.
As a woman, it’s easy for her to readily enumerate her “firsts” in this career where leadership is a major element. In 2023, when she was assigned to steer HCPI, Ms. Miyake was also stepping into her first overseas assignment.
“This is my first assignment to be a country president for the brand, and at the same time, it is also my first overseas assignment. In Honda’s case, when we look at other country presidents, they usually have prior experience to be assigned overseas. This is what I find to make my experience to be quite unique. This came with its own challenges, especially in my first year. Everything was a ‘first’ for me,” she told the Manila Bulletin.
Honda is also her first employer, joining it fresh from college graduation in 2000. She explained: “Before being assigned to the Philippines, most of my career had been based in the Tokyo headquarters. The role and responsibility at the global office is very different from being in a local office. Locally, your role is at the frontline. The new culture, nature of the role, and country were all new to me on a professional and personal level. This was a unique challenge to me that I had to put great effort into overcoming it.”
RIE MIYAKE, president of Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI).
She does not seem to find her title extraordinary for a woman. She said there are many female leaders in HCPI. “In fact, there are more female leaders than male, so it helps me a lot. I am not sure how the male leaders felt given that I am younger than them and that I am a female, but in my point of view, they are so supportive.”
And what keeps her going is all about keeping gender out of decision making. “I never do things because I am female or even think about that.”
She believes “female leaders have different strengths compared to male leaders.” She agrees with other woman leaders that a woman’s caring nature puts an extra element in leadership. “We generally might be able to care more about people’s feelings and emotions. I think that is a strength for female leaders, because we care. This is not to say that male leaders do not, but there is a higher tendency of female leaders to pay more attention to people’s feelings and emotions, not just the usual business operations.
“Being a strong leader does not have to mean being strong in the traditional sense that we would usually consider. There are a lot of ways to be strong, and I believe that caring about the feelings of those around you makes you a strong leader.
She is not worried about how male colleagues may look at her because she is committed to work together to achieve common goals. “While I am not sure what our associates think about me, but I hope they feel that it is easier to approach me and communicate with me so we can all work towards our common goals,” she puts that simply.
There is another side of Ms. Miyake –motherhood. Like all woman leaders, she went through the challenge of balancing motherhood and career, especially in Japan, where nannies are not available.
“Early on, I requested to not be assigned outside of Japan because I wanted to be with my family. Plus, my husband had his own job. At that time, my daughter was also very young. Over time though, I started to think about how my career development might be limited if I keep rejecting my overseas assignments. In 2018, I was promoted to a managerial position in Honda Motors, which meant I would eventually have to be assigned abroad. Since I had my daughter at this time and my husband had his job, I could not accept, but my husband and I started discussing the possibility.”
The result: her husband offered to quit his job and take care of their daughter. It is a blessing that she cherishes.
“I really appreciate my husband because of this. He takes care of our daughter every day.”
Being a mother, though, still demanded time. “Often, my husband and daughter have to wait a long time for me because I leave the office past working hours. But they still make sure to make me feel that they support not just me, but HCPI and Honda in general. When we had our Next Level Mobility Mall Tour where we displayed all three of our hybrid models, my husband and daughter visited nearly every mall display stop we had. If not for them, I would not be able to work here at all.”
“Sustaining my career, especially when raising a small child, that was a challenge to me even before being assigned to the Philippines. Back then, I would even envy my male colleagues who were in the same situation as fathers. Because of the traditional mindset, they would get to spend as much time as they wanted in the office, but for me, I would have to leave at 5 p.m. to pick up my daughter. I had shorter time to work and accomplish my tasks, but the expectations from the company were just the same.”
At the workplace in the Philippine setting, Ms. Miyake observes: “The caring nature of the Filipinos is the strength of the people and it has really helped me a lot during my time here. What I like about Filipinos is that they are very passionate. That aspect really helped my work and my career a lot. I really appreciate and am so happy to be assigned to the Philippines as my first overseas assignment.”
“So much has continued to change since I arrived in the Philippines. Looking back, I am not the same person I was when I arrived. In fact, the industry and the image that the Filipino people have of mobility is very different now as well. However, amid this change, at least one belief has remained constant for me: I must always strive to do what is best for our customers, our associates, and everyone connected to Honda.
“Even in a very challenging market environment in 2025, we were able to grow our volume and market share. We also expanded our hybrid lineup, bringing both an environmentally conscious experience and the joy of driving to more customers. This could not have been possible without the support from the warm, passionate, and positive people we have here in the Philippines.
“These three years have not only been the most defining, but also the most intense and vividly memorable period in my 25-year career with Honda,” she said.
The next time you look at a Honda car, think of the woman who has “softened” the workplace dynamics at its Philippine office. On Women’s Month, we pay tribute to women like Ms. Miyake whose caring nature encourages colleagues to work toward a common goal.