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DETROIT - Toyota Motor Corp. gave U.S. sales chief Jim Lentz the additional title of CEO in a shuffle of North American leadership.
Lentz takes on the chief executive role April 1 while remaining president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., the automaker said in a statement today, according to Automotive News. Lentz, 56, who joined the automaker 30 years ago, is the first American to hold the CEO title, Toyota said.
In other changes also taking effect next month:
Shigeki Terashi will become president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, replacing Yoshi Inaba. Terashi will remain president of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America.
Inaba, 66, will stay in the United States as chairman of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. He will also keep his post on Toyota's North American executive committee "to support Mr. Terashi in his new role."
Massy Tomozoe, senior vice president of North America business planning, will take a "senior management position" in Japan. The assignment has yet to be announced.
Toyota Motor Corporation announced various global leadership changes today, including the naming of Shigeki Terashi as president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, Inc. effective April 1.
In this new role, Mr. Terashi will be Toyota's chief regional officer for North America, and will chair Toyota's cross-affiliate North American Executive Committee.
Mr. Terashi, who will also retain his current position as president of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, Inc., joined Toyota in 1980 in the body engineering design division and began by working on the Camry project. Before being named president of TEMA last year, Mr. Terashi led the Toyota Technical Center and oversaw the development and launch of the Venza, Sienna and other key products in North America.
Other North American changes announced today, also effective April 1, include:
Yoshi Inaba, currently president and COO of TMA, will remain on Toyota's North American Executive Committee to support Mr. Terashi in his new role, but will be moving back to Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. , to focus mainly on his role as Chairman of TMS.
Jim Lentz, currently president and COO of TMS, will become president and CEO of TMS. Mr. Lentz is the first American to be named CEO of TMS.
Massy Tomozoe, previously senior vice president of North America business planning and chief coordinating officer for TMA, will return to Japan to accept a senior management position, which will be announced at a later date.
Under Mr. Terashi's leadership, Toyota's North American Executive Committee will continue to meet monthly. Other members of the Executive Committee include: Yoshi Inaba, Dian Ogilvie, George Borst, Jim Lentz, Kazuhiro Miyauchi, Ray Tanguay and Steve St. Angelo.
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