Toyota announces executive changes across North and South America
The changes include:
James Lentz, currently president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS), senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America (TMA) and managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), is named senior managing officer of TMC, chief executive officer North America Region, and president and chief operating officer of TMA.
In this new role, Mr. Lentz will oversee all of Toyota’s North America affiliates, including TMS, TMA and Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America, Inc. (TEMA), which includes responsibilities for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC), and will have new oversight for Toyota Canada, Incorporated (TCI). Mr. Lentz will also become chairman of the North American Executive Committee, which will consist of cross - March 6, 2013, New York, USA – Toyota Motor North America, Inc. announced executive changes across Toyota’s North and South American affiliate companies, effective April 1, 2013.
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The changes include:
James Lentz, currently president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS), senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America (TMA) and managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), is named senior managing officer of TMC, chief executive officer North America Region, and president and chief operating officer of TMA.
In this new role, Mr. Lentz will oversee all of Toyota’s North America affiliates, including TMS, TMA and Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America, Inc. (TEMA), which includes responsibilities for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC), and will have new oversight for Toyota Canada, Incorporated (TCI). Mr. Lentz will also become chairman of the North American Executive Committee, which will consist of cross-affiliate leaders.
Prior to his new duties, Mr. Lentz was president and chief executive officer of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. as well as a member of the company’s board of directors. He also was senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMA), the holding company for Toyota's North American sales, engineering and manufacturing operating units.
Additionally, Mr. Lentz served in a global advisory capacity as managing officer for the parent company Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in Japan. In these roles, Mr. Lentz was responsible for all North American sales, marketing, product planning, corporate planning and corporate affairs as well as distribution for Toyota, Scion and Lexus products in the United States.
Mr. Lentz joined Toyota in 1982 and has held various positions in the Portland, Central Atlantic, San Francisco and Los Angeles sales regions, including general manager of the San Francisco and Los Angeles regions. His experience at TMS headquarters in Torrance, Calif., includes field training, sales administration and truck sales, vice president of marketing services for the Central Atlantic Toyota Region, vice president of Scion, responsible for the initial launch of a new line of vehicles for the next generation of new-car buyers.
Mr. Lentz has also served as group vice president of marketing, Toyota Division, Central Atlantic Toyota Distributors, chief operating officer and executive vice president of TMS. He is immediate past chairman and member of the board of the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers.
Kazuo Ohara, managing officer, TMC and executive vice president, Lexus International, will become chief executive officer and president of TMS, with responsibility for Toyota’s North America sales, service and marketing operations.
Mr. Ohara joined TMC inApril 1980 after receiving his bachelor’s degree in law from Osaka University. In 2003 he was transferred to TMS in the U.S., where he served as senior vice president. In 2008, he was promoted to general manager, Lexus Product and Marketing Planning Division at TMC. Mr. Ohara was named managing officer of TMC in June 2010, and in April of the following year he became deputy chief officer of Lexus Group. He was named executive vice president of Lexus International in June 2012.
Osamu Nagata, deputy chief officer, External Affairs group, and managing officer, TMC, is named chief executive officer and president of TEMA, where he will lead Toyota’s North American manufacturing and engineering operations.
Mr. Nagata also joined TMC in April 1980 after earning his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Tokyo. In 2000, he was transferred to Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc., the predecessor of TEMA, where he served as vice president in charge of purchasing.
In 2007, he was named general manager of the administrative division of Toyota’s Miyoshi manufacturing plant. In 2009, he became a managing officer at TMC and also served as the plant manager for the Miyoshi and Tahara manufacturing facilities. In April 2011, he was named deputy chief officer of TMC’s External Affairs Group.
Steve St. Angelo, having served Toyota North America as executive vice president, TEMA, and senior vice president of TMA, is named chief executive officer, Latin America and Caribbean Region. He remains a managing officer of TMC. Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mr. St. Angelo will be chairman of Toyota do Brazil and will oversee all of Toyota’s Latin America and Caribbean affiliates.
In 1995, St. Angelo joined New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), the former independent joint venture between GM and Toyota in California, where he held the position of senior advisor and eventually was named vice president in September 2001. He joined Toyota as executive vice president of manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc., the company’s largest facility outside Japan, on April 1, 2005.
In June 2006, he was named president. In June 2007, St. Angelo was named the senior vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America, Inc., (TEMA), headquarters to Toyota's engineering and manufacturing operations in North America. In June 2009, he was promoted to managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan, named executive vice president of TEMA and senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America.
In March 2010, St. Angelo was named the chief quality officer for North America. In April 2012, St. Angelo’s responsibilities for Toyota North America expanded to include all Manufacturing, Production Engineering, Production Control and Logistics Control.
Mark S. Templin, group vice president and general manager – Lexus Division, TMS, and general manager, Lexus Product Marketing Planning Division, TMC, is named managing officer and executive vice presidentof Lexus International, where he will lead Lexus global operations from Toyota City, Japan. With this appointment, Mr. Templin becomes the first non-Japanese executive to oversee a Toyota division within the company’s global headquarters in Japan.
Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Templin was group vice president and general manager – Lexus Division, TMS, and general manager, Lexus Product Marketing Planning Division, TMC. Prior to his assignments with Lexus, Mr. Templin served as vice president of Scion, Toyota’s brand for the next generation of car buyers, responsible for all Scion activities.
Since joining TMS in 1990, Mr. Templin has held a number of positions, including Lexus Southern Area manager, and assistant area manager for both the Southern and Western Area Lexus offices. He also served as sales administration manager and retail operations manager at Lexus’ national headquarters in Torrance, Calif., as vice president of parts, service, customer satisfaction and training for the Lexus Division and vice president of Lexus marketing.
Réal Tanguay, chairman, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC), North American chief quality officer and senior managing officer of TMC, will be named advisor, TMC and chairman, TCI. He remains chairman of TMMC and president of Canadian Autoparts Toyota, Inc. (CAPTIN), which are overseen by TEMA.
Mr. Tanguay joined Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC), in 1991, as a general manager in charge of General Affairs, Information Systems and Environmental Affairs. He became vice president in 1993, senior vice president in 2000, and president in 2002, and finally, chairman of TMMC in 2010.
In June 2005, Mr. Tanguay also became a managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in Japan and in April of 2011, he was promoted to senior managing officer of TMC. Also in April 2011, he took on additional responsibilities as senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMA).
Robert S. Carter, senior vice president – automotive operations, TMS, will have added responsibility for the Lexus Division, aligning sales, service, marketing, customer initiatives, vehicle distribution and parts operations for Toyota, Lexus and Scion under one executive.
As senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Mr. Carter was responsible for the Toyota Division, sales administration, Toyota Logistics Services, Toyota Motor Sales de Mexico and Toyota de Puerto Rico. Prior to that, he was group vice president and general manager of Toyota Division at TMS, where he was responsible for leading all sales, logistics and marketing activities for Toyota and Scion regional sales offices and distributors.
Mr. Carter previously served as group vice president and general manager of Lexus, where he oversaw all aspects of Lexus automotive operations, including sales and marketing, retail development, customer satisfaction and product planning.
Since joining TMS in 1981 as a warranty processor, Mr. Carter has held a number of other positions, including general manager of Toyota’s Denver regional sales office, Lexus Eastern Area manager, vice president of sales for the Toyota Division and vice president of sales and dealer development for the Lexus Division. He was also the general manager and part owner of Hyannis Toyota in Hyannis, Mass.
Jeffrey Bracken, vice president, sales, Toyota Division, is named group vice president and general manager – Lexus Division, TMS. Mr. Bracken will be responsible for all sales, marketing, customer service and dealer operations for Lexus in the U.S.
Prior to his new appointment, Mr. Bracken was vice president, sales, Toyota Division and was responsible for sales support for Toyota’s regional offices, public companies and private distributors.
Since joining Toyota in 1978, Mr. Bracken has served in a number of managerial positions at TMS headquarters, region sales offices and port facilities. In addition to serving as general manager, Portland Region and assistant general manager, Denver Region, he held various positions in the Los Angeles and San Francisco regional offices. He also served as general manager, Lexus Western Area, the luxury division of Toyota Motor Sales and as general manager, Los Angeles Region for the Toyota Division.
Yoshimi Inaba, chairman of TMS, is named executive chairman of TMS. He remains executive advisor to TMC.
Previously chairman of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., and an executive advisor of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Mr. Inaba joined TMC in 1968, immediately after graduating from Japan’s Kyoto University. His first overseas assignment was in 1985 at Toyota's German sales company. After returning to TMC in Japan, he spent five years at the Europe Division. He then moved to TMS in 1993, becoming senior vice president in 1996, responsible for sales and marketing for the Toyota and Lexus Divisions.
Mr. Inaba returned to Japan in 1997 and was named to TMC’s Board of Directors where he oversaw European and African operations. In 1999, Mr. Inaba moved back to the U.S. to become president of TMS, and in June 2003, he was made a senior managing director at TMC.
In June 2005, he became an executive vice president, focusing on Toyota’s Chinese operations. In June 2007, he was appointed president and chief executive officer of Central Japan International Airport Co., Ltd., and a senior advisor to the board of TMC. In June 2009, Mr. Inaba returned to TMC in his current capacity.
Mark Hogan, president of Dewey Investments LLC, is appointed as one of three new outside board members of TMC. Mr. Hogan is the first American to be named as an outside board member of the company.
A veteran automotive industry leader, Mr. Hogan is president of Dewey Investments LLC, a consultancy to automotive-related entities. He is also a member of the Toyota North American Advisory Committee and Toyota’s International Advisory Board.
Previously, he served as a member of the Visteon Corporation Board of Directors. Prior to this, he was a director and the president and CEO of The Vehicle Production Group LLC, a designer and marketer of automobiles that serve mobility-impaired individuals. From 2004 through 2007 he served as president of Magna International Inc., one of the world’s largest suppliers of automotive components, systems and modules.
Mr. Hogan also spent 31 years at General Motors, where he notably served as general manager and comptroller at New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), GM’s former independent joint venture with Toyota in California. He also served as president and managing director of GM do Brazil and group vice president of GM.
Shigeki Terashi, managing officer, TMC, president and COO, TMA and president and CEO, TEMA, is named senior managing officer, TMC, where he will be chief officer, Corporate Planning Division and chief officer, Product and Business Planning Division.
Kazuhiro Miyauchi, managing officer, TMC, senior vice president, TMA, and executive vice president – Purchasing and Supplier Engineering Development, TEMA, will become chief officer, Production Control Group, TMC. ■