Toyota Announces Global Management Shift

Toyota Motor Corp. has restructured its upper management in an effort to concentrate responsibilities and streamline operations. The changes will take effect on April 1.

President Akio Toyoda says the overhaul aims to create a management team with enhanced regional insight and a stronger global mindset. This year's round of changes extends those begun in 2013, which created business units and reorganized regional operations.

Under the new structure, Toyota's executive vice president will expand the scope of their responsibilities from business units to the entire company worldwide. At the same time, senior managers will take on responsibility for business units and regional operations.

The reorganization involves a large number of reassignments, including greater exchange of executives among different companies within the Toyota Group. Among the major changes:

• Didier Leroy, current head of European operations, will oversee Toyota operations in North America and Africa as well as Europe. He also will become the company's first non-Japanese executive vice president.
• Johan van Zyl, the managing officer currently in charge of the Africa region, will add the European region.
• Julie Hamp, who has headed corporate communications in North America, becomes Toyota's first female managing officer. She will oversee the company's external affairs and communications on a global scale.