A little-known engineer will take over as chief executive of Honda, one of the world's top 10 automakers, in late June.

Takahiro Hachigo will replace Takanobu Ito, whose six-year tenure saw the Japanese company struggle through the global financial crisis, natural disasters and damaging recalls. 

Reuters reported Hachigo worked across research and development, procurement and manufacturing and spent time in the United States and the United Kingdom. He is currently a senior official at Honda's research and development arm in China. The 55-year-old joined the company in 1982; he will be the first Honda CEO from outside the firm's board of directors.

The new CEO, who worked on the popular U.S. Odyssey minivan and CR-V crossover, skips several ranks in his promotion.

"My job is to take the (current) strategy forward, and evolve it," Hachigo noted at a brief Tokyo news conference.

Hachigo and Ito spoke little of Honda's recent difficulties, which include a number of recalls that have diminished the Japanese automaker's reputation for quality, but the new chief executive's appointment "signals a psychological break with Honda's stumbles" and elevates a leader with ample international experience, Automotive News judged.

Takaki Nakanishi, a veteran auto analyst and CEO of Nakanishi Research Institute, agreed that the carmaker's decision marked a significant change.

"I think this is an attempt by Honda to tread a different course, with someone who upholds harmony," Nakanishi, told Reuters.

An unnamed senior Honda executive, meanwhile, described Hachigo as "nice" and "thoughtful."

"I don't know anyone who has anything bad to say about him," the source told the news service.

Even though a six-year tenure is typical for Honda chiefs, Ito's departure came somewhat unexpected because the current CEO's reforms were just "gaining traction," according to Automotive News.

Chris Richter, an auto analyst with CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, said he was somewhat surprised by the announcement.

"This is certainly sudden and one would have thought he'd be allowed some more time to resolve some of their issues," Richter explained. "Ito laid a lot of groundwork. Now that some of those assets are in place, it's a matter of using them wisely."