Toyota’s incoming President to implement ‘product-centered and region-centered management'

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) incoming President Koji Sato said that he and his new team are looking to implement a “product-centered and region-centered management.”

Currently the TMC Operating Officer, Sato will take the place of Akio Toyoda, who will step down and assume the role of Chairman in the company.

In a press release, Sato expressed his resolve in assuming the post of President and said: “Our new team’s theme is ‘inheritance and evolution.’ We will implement product-centered and region-centered management while valuing the philosophy of our company’s founding and will endeavor to fully redesign Toyota into a mobility company. Making ever-better cars and being the best car company in town are exactly the values that Toyota must hold. With these values so deeply instilled in the company by President Toyoda over the past 13 years, what the new team must do is push implementation at greater speed.”

Key to the immediate implementation of the abovementioned plan, TMC revealed, is the three current executive vice presidents of TMC: Kenta Kon, Masahiko Maeda, and Masanori Kuwata.

Per the Japanese automotive brand, the aforementioned executive vice presidents will become “frontline leaders” who will carry out the three business themes under Koji.

Kon, TMC explained, will become the full-time Chief Financial Officer of Wovern Planet Holdings Inc. (which will change its name to Wovern by Toyota Inc.) and will head the development of Accelerate Arene, Woven City, and other initiatives

As for Maeda, he will step in as the Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Region and will lead social implementation projects related to carbon neutrality and CASE (“Connected” cars, “Autonomous/Automated” driving, “Shared,” and “Electric”) technologies to promote a new strategy in the region.

Meanwhile, Kuwata will assume the role of Toyota Motor Kyushu Co., Ltd. Executive Vice President and will lead Lexus’ electrification strategy.

Sato’s appointment as TMC’s new President will be effective on April 1, 2023.

Photos from Toyota

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