The starting lineup
Toyota Motor Corporation announced in January that Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada will resign his post, President Akio Toyoda will be appointed chairman, and Operating Officer Koji Sato will be appointed president, effective April 1, 2023. Today in Tokyo, incoming president Koji Sato expanded on his role and the new senior team.
“The hallmark of our management as a team, like a soccer team, will be flexibility in changing formation. Underlying this are the concepts of having the right person in the right place and emphasizing roles over titles,” Sato said.
The three executive vice presidents will lead on the front lines of our three priority businesses.
- Executive Vice President Kon, serving as Woven by Toyota’s dedicated CFO, will work with CEO Kuffner to advance Woven’s breakthrough transformation.
- Executive Vice President Maeda, serving as chief executive officer of our Asia Region, will explore carbon-neutral paths for emerging countries and lead our new Asia strategy under the theme of social implementation of CASE technologies.
- Executive Vice President Kuwata, as executive vice president of Toyota Motor Kyushu, will promote Lexus’ BEV business strategy and the restructuring of the production system in Kyushu, where we have a dedicated Lexus plant.
The new operating officers, centered on in-house company presidents and regional chief officers, will be in charge of implementing product-centered and region-centered management.
New executive vice presidents Hiroki Nakajima and Yoichi Miyazaki will each oversee work on the two axes of products and regions.
- Tetsuo Ogawa, North American Region CEO,
- Tatsuro Ueda, China Region CEO, will lead region-centered management as new operating officers,
- Simon Humphries will lead brand creation as the new chief branding officer.
- Kazuaki Shingo, the president of the in-house Toyota Compact Car Company, will promote the creation of a competitive production system.
- Operating Officer Jun Nagata will continue to lead communication with stakeholders, which is the foundation for all efforts.
“And I believe that my role, as president, will be to maximize the strength of our team as captain.
I will listen carefully to the opinions of those on the front lines and unite our team while making the most of the diverse personalities of its leaders,” Sato said.
The overall goal is to turn Toyota into a mobility company “ under three car-making themes. They are Electrification, Intelligence, Diversification,” Sato said.
Electrification
“The energy situation varies around the world. We want to stay in tune with customers around the world and provide diverse options. That is why we will continue an omni-directional approach without wavering from our multi-pathway.
“In that multi-pathway, battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, are also an important option. Under Master Driver Toyoda, we have been preparing to create BEVs unique to Toyota and Lexus. Through these efforts, we have come to see the kind of BEVs we are aiming for.
“Now that the time is right, we will accelerate BEV development with a new approach. Specifically, we will develop next-generation BEVs for Lexus brand by 2026, with everything from the battery and platform to how a car is built optimized for BEVs, while expanding our current BEV lineup,” Sato said.
Intelligence
“With more interactive cars, we will make them safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable. I believe that there is vehicle intelligence that only a carmaker can achieve,” Sato said.
“A vast amount of information flows through a car, including driver operation and tire condition. With such, there is a wealth of information that only a carmaker can put to use. By listening to what cars have to say, and by controlling information to a higher, more integrated degree, we can increase the value of cars in a way that is tailored to each customer, such as by improving fuel efficiency, optimizing ride quality, and supporting safe driving.
“The software platform Arene will help us to achieve that world. Arene will also lead to new services through collaboration with dealers and apps. We will continue to work on making cars intelligent through both hardware and software,” Sato said.
Diversification
“Third is diversification. Toyota operates all over the world. Customers’ diverse needs and values vary by region and generation. That is why we need diverse options in terms of both products and services. Take for example the IMV 0 concept vehicle that we unveiled in Thailand last year. By prioritizing ease of customization, we are directly addressing the needs of customers who use pickup trucks in their work. … As a global company with full lineups, we will advance car-making that is in tune with regions and meets diverse needs,” Sato said.
New Toyota Motor President Koji Sato on Evolution
The starting lineup
Toyota Motor Corporation announced in January that Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada will resign his post, President Akio Toyoda will be appointed chairman, and Operating Officer Koji Sato will be appointed president, effective April 1, 2023. Today in Tokyo, incoming president Koji Sato expanded on his role and the new senior team.
“The hallmark of our management as a team, like a soccer team, will be flexibility in changing formation. Underlying this are the concepts of having the right person in the right place and emphasizing roles over titles,” Sato said.
The three executive vice presidents will lead on the front lines of our three priority businesses.
The new operating officers, centered on in-house company presidents and regional chief officers, will be in charge of implementing product-centered and region-centered management.
New executive vice presidents Hiroki Nakajima and Yoichi Miyazaki will each oversee work on the two axes of products and regions.
“And I believe that my role, as president, will be to maximize the strength of our team as captain.
I will listen carefully to the opinions of those on the front lines and unite our team while making the most of the diverse personalities of its leaders,” Sato said.
The overall goal is to turn Toyota into a mobility company “ under three car-making themes. They are Electrification, Intelligence, Diversification,” Sato said.
Electrification
“The energy situation varies around the world. We want to stay in tune with customers around the world and provide diverse options. That is why we will continue an omni-directional approach without wavering from our multi-pathway.
“In that multi-pathway, battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, are also an important option. Under Master Driver Toyoda, we have been preparing to create BEVs unique to Toyota and Lexus. Through these efforts, we have come to see the kind of BEVs we are aiming for.
“Now that the time is right, we will accelerate BEV development with a new approach. Specifically, we will develop next-generation BEVs for Lexus brand by 2026, with everything from the battery and platform to how a car is built optimized for BEVs, while expanding our current BEV lineup,” Sato said.
Intelligence
“With more interactive cars, we will make them safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable. I believe that there is vehicle intelligence that only a carmaker can achieve,” Sato said.
“A vast amount of information flows through a car, including driver operation and tire condition. With such, there is a wealth of information that only a carmaker can put to use. By listening to what cars have to say, and by controlling information to a higher, more integrated degree, we can increase the value of cars in a way that is tailored to each customer, such as by improving fuel efficiency, optimizing ride quality, and supporting safe driving.
“The software platform Arene will help us to achieve that world. Arene will also lead to new services through collaboration with dealers and apps. We will continue to work on making cars intelligent through both hardware and software,” Sato said.
Diversification
“Third is diversification. Toyota operates all over the world. Customers’ diverse needs and values vary by region and generation. That is why we need diverse options in terms of both products and services. Take for example the IMV 0 concept vehicle that we unveiled in Thailand last year. By prioritizing ease of customization, we are directly addressing the needs of customers who use pickup trucks in their work. … As a global company with full lineups, we will advance car-making that is in tune with regions and meets diverse needs,” Sato said.