JAPAN TIMES




 

 
Koji Sato is stepping down as president and chief executive officer of Toyota, the company said Friday.
 
Chief Financial Officer Kenta Kon will succeed him, effective April 1.
 
Kon said the appointment, which he was informed of in January, came as a surprise.
 
“At this point, it’s not that I have assessed everything and have a clear roadmap,” Kon said, adding he will communicate with Sato and other executives about how to lead the automaker.
 
Sato will become vice chairman and assume the newly created role of chief industry officer.
 
According to Toyota, Kon will focus on Toyota’s internal management, while Sato will handle tasks related to the auto industry in general, as he also serves as chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and vice chairman of Keidanren.
 
“To maintain the international competitiveness of the auto industry, we must come together to find specific fields for cooperation and a winning strategy for Japan,” Sato said during a news conference on Friday.
 
“Since cross-industry collaboration will be critical, Toyota has to play a bigger role in the industry.”
 
Sato became Toyota president in April 2023, succeeding Akio Toyoda, in what was the first leadership change in about 14 years.
 
At that time Toyoda said he himself was from “the old school,” so a younger person should lead the automaker to face new challenges, such as producing EVs and software-defined vehicles.
 
Toyoda said that he chose Sato due to his eagerness to absorb Toyota’s philosophy and understand its technology.