It was a heady moment for the 45-year-old who grew up in the Toronto area and spent much of his career there.
A 24-year Honda/Acura employee, his years of product planning helped position the redesigned Integra for the North American market.
Korkor’s drive lifted him from humble beginnings. His first job with Acura was in 1999, in collections and repossessions, which is “not where you want to start,” he said. But within a year, he was promoted to product planning, which required him to visit Acura’s North American headquarters in California. And a taste for the California lifestyle followed.
“I always said, ‘I’m going to work here one day.’”
Korkor’s rigid daily schedule begins at 4 a.m. at the gym, where he occasionally works out with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Korkor is in the office by 7:30, checking in with his 100 direct reports in the United States.
Each day, Korkor sets aside time for his four “buckets” of responsibility: retail pace, strategic planning, employee priorities and motivation, and dealer relations. He oversees the financial and sales performance of the 271 Acura dealers in the United States and the 51 in Canada.