PLANO, Texas, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor
North America (TMNA) announces executive changes to its operations,
effective January 4, 2021.
Toshio Niimi, currently general
manager at Toyota Motor Corporation's (TMC) plants in Honsha and
Kinuura, Japan, will take on the
new role of executive vice president, Production Engineering and
Manufacturing, TMNA. Niimi will have responsibilities for all
aspects of Toyota's North American production engineering
operations and 15 manufacturing vehicle, engine and
parts plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, including its joint venture in
Alabama that begins production in
2021. He also will serve on TMNA's North American
Executive Committee and report to Tetsuo "Ted" Ogawa, President and
CEO, TMNA.
Tadahisa Isono, current executive vice president,
Production Engineering, will return to TMC as chief project
leader of Global Rebuild Plan and Sustainable Development Goals in
the Production Group. In his new role,
Isono will oversee Production Engineering in Advanced
R&D and Engineering Company, Toyota Compact Car Company,
Mid-size Vehicle Company, Commercial Vehicle Company, and
Lexus International Company. Isono joined Toyota's North American
manufacturing company in January 2015
as senior vice president, Production Engineering. In
his six years of service in North America, he also served
as executive vice president, Manufacturing,
TMNA.
Lisa Materazzo, who currently
serves as vice president of Lexus Marketing, TMNA, is being
promoted to group vice president, Toyota Marketing. Materazzo
replaces Ed Laukes, who announced
his retirement in November. In this role, Materazzo will have
responsibilities for all Toyota division market planning,
advertising, merchandising, sales promotions, incentives, NASCAR
and motorsports, and all social and digital media. Materazzo joined
Toyota in 1998 and has held a variety of marketing-related roles
including vice president, Vehicle Marketing and Communications, and
corporate manager, Media Strategy and Digital Engagement. She will
report to David Christ, group vice
president and general manager, Toyota Division, TMNA.
Tom Stricker, who currently
serves as vice president of Product Regulatory Affairs, TMNA, is
being promoted to group vice president, Sustainability and
Regulatory Affairs. In this role, Stricker will have
responsibilities for Toyota's U.S.-based environmental
sustainability and regulatory affairs, motor vehicle safety
regulations and enterprise chemical management. Stricker's team
also will provide technical support for Toyota's legislative
affairs and media relations.
Stricker joined Toyota in 2001 and has held a variety of
positions in policy, environmental and regulatory affairs. He will
report to Sandra Phillips Rogers,
group vice president, general counsel & chief legal officer,
and chief diversity officer, TMNA.
Monte Kaehr, who currently serves
as the Toyota Sienna chief engineer, TMNA, is being promoted to
group vice president, Advanced Mobility Research & Development.
In this role, Kaehr will have responsibilities for technical
strategy and planning of advanced mobility solutions. Kaehr joined
Toyota in 1992 as a design engineer in Japan and moved to Toyota's North American
Research & Development division in 1998 where he progressed
through a series of positions in Body Engineering and Product
Development. He also previously served as the Toyota Camry chief
engineer for the North America
region. Kaehr will report to Shinichi Yasui, executive vice president,
Research & Development, TMNA.
Jeff Makarewicz, who currently
serves as group vice president, Advanced Mobility Research &
Development, TMNA, is assigned as group vice president and
executive advisor, Research & Development and Corporate
Strategy & Planning. Makarewicz joined Toyota research and
development in 1990 as an engineer in the Materials Engineering
Department and has held various positions in the areas of corporate
strategy, product planning, research, design, development and
evaluation. Makarewicz will report to Shinichi Yasui, executive vice president,
Research & Development, TMNA.
Edward Mantey, who currently
serves as executive advisor Research & Development and
Corporate Strategy & Planning, TMNA, is retiring after more
than 29 years of service, effective January
29, 2021. Mantey joined Toyota in 1991 with responsibility
for overseeing the structural evaluations of products developed in
North America. From 1996 to 2000,
Mantey held the position of executive engineer for Development,
Planning and Operations where his responsibilities included the
position of chief engineer for the 2000 Model Year Avalon. Prior to
his current assignment, Mantey was senior vice president of the
Product Development Office.
John Kennelly, who currently
serves as group vice president, One Toyota Competitiveness, TMNA,
is retiring after more than 16 years of service, effective
January 29, 2021. Kennelly has
been leading the One Toyota efforts to integrate the business
process and systems for Toyota's legacy Sales, Manufacturing, and
Engineering organizations. He also has been instrumental in the
implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Application across Toyota's North American Operations.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of
the cultural fabric in North
America for more than 60 years, and is committed to
advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota
and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly
employs more than 47,000 in North
America. The company has contributed world-class design,
engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks
at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in
Alabama that begins production in
2021.
Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights
the way it partners with community, civic, academic and
governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing
mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move,
anything is possible. For more information about Toyota,
visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Contact:
Victor Vanov
victor.vanov@toyota.com
469-292-1318
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America