President Revamps Toyota Management, Structure

President Akio Toyoda has made the broadest changes to Toyota Motor Corp.'s executive ranks, board and operating structure since he took the top job in mid-2009.

Toyota's chairman, three executive vice presidents, five senior managing officers and nine managing officers will retire. When the changes take effect in June, all but two board members will have joined the top echelon since Toyoda took charge.

Toyota has divided its business into four groups: developed countries; emerging markets; Lexus International; and powertrain. The company says the new structure aims to speed decision-making and clarify operations and earnings responsibilities.

Toyota split its global operations into eight regions, each with its own CEO responsible for sales and production. Toyoda says the change reflects the company's strategy of giving more responsibility to local managers. Half of the regional CEOs are non-Japanese.

Toyota also named three outside directors the first in its 76-year history. The group includes an American, former General Motors and Magna executive Mark Hogan. The other two outsiders are executives at Japanese financial firms.

Among the management changes:

Takeshi Uchiyamada, who headed development of the Prius hybrid, becomes chairman. He succeeds Fujio Cho.

Executive vice presidents Yukitoshi Funo (emerging markets), Atsushi Niimi (production and North America) and Shinichi Sasaki (quality control) will retire.

Jim Lentz, U.S. sales president, is named CEO for North America and a senior managing officer.

Steve St. Angelo, head of North American manufacturing and engineering, is appointed CEO for the Latin America and Caribbean regions. He will be based in Sao Paulo.

Kazuhiro Kobayashi, head of product and business planning, becomes CEO for China.

Mark Templin, head the U.S. Lexus unit and the brand's global marketing and product planning chief, will manage Lexus global operations, based in Japan. He also is named a managing officer.

Kazuo Ohara, Lexus chief, is appointed head of North American sales, marketing and service, reporting to Lentz.

Shigecki Terashi, president of Toyota Motor North America, will become corporate planning chief.