On February 13, Toyota held a press conference to outline its new management structure. The theme for this new era is "inheritance and evolution." Toyota Times shares the words of incoming President Koji Sato.
This press conference was the incoming president’s first chance to speak with the media since the January 26 Toyota Times News live broadcast that unveiled the leadership change.
The new management team that will take over in April has adopted a central theme of inheritance, building on the product-centered and region-centered management foundation established by President Akio Toyoda, and evolution into a mobility company focused on the development of electric vehicles (BEVs).
Toyota’s priority business areas will be strengthening Woven initiatives, achieving carbon neutrality in Asia, and business reform starting with next-generation BEVs. Incoming President Sato vowed to manage “as a team,” guided by the concepts of putting the right person in the right place and emphasizing roles over titles.
Committed to product-centered and region-centered management
Sato
Today, I would like to explain our new management team structure from April.The theme of this new structure is “inheritance and evolution.”
What we should inherit is the product-centered and region-centered management that President Toyoda has built over the past 13 years.
Over this period, our introduction of the Toyota New Global Architecture and an in-house company system has enabled us to make better cars and improve development efficiency.
Leveraging this car-making foundation and promoting efforts to become a best-in-town carmaker has brought global balance to our business structure.
Our break-even volume has improved by more than 30% since the global financial crisis, thanks to the manufacturing reforms and structural strengthening that we have been working on with suppliers.
And our greatest asset of all is the value of “Let's make ever-better cars” that pervades Toyota.
Being vehicle-based, not function based…
Going into action at the genba, not sitting and debating…
Working hard to put smiles on our customers’ faces…
I believe that Toyota has changed into a company that values the origins of car-making and can be called a true carmaker.
Starting in April, our new management team will put this “Akio Toyoda Management” into practice.