Back in April 2014, Toyota made a somewhat shocking announcement that its corporate operations, sales and marketing, and manufacturing departments would move to an all-new, one location headquarters in Plano, Texas. The move would not only relocate a number of individuals (or loose them entirely), but it would also bring approximately 4,000 jobs to the south central region. Fast forward to today, and Toyota has yet again made a change to its executive line-up with a number of title changes for its North American team.
“Bringing together an experienced and diverse team of executives with fresh perspectives, unique regional insights and a global mindset will help us better serve customers around the world,” said Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in an official press release.
North American CEO, Jim Lentz, is now the president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America, Inc. (TEMA). This title addition gives Lentz a lot of responsibility in the next coming months but considering the brand’s recent uptick in sales, his previous efforts should continue successfully.
Julie Hamp, former chief communications officer of Toyota’s North America Region, has become the first woman named to the global positions, managing officer and chief communications officer for Toyota Motor Company. The new position will move Hamp to Tokyo, Japan in order to oversee all global communications efforts.
Another mark in history is Chris P. Reynolds who, as the new managing officer and general counsel and chief legal officer for Toyota Motor Company, has become the first African-American named to these global positions. Reynolds will eventually maintain the Plano offices when they become fully operational in 2017.
“Chris Reynolds and Julie Hamp have made incredible contributions to our North American operations, and we are fortunate to have them now supporting Toyota’s growth and success at the global level,” said Lentz.
The full list of title changes can be found here.
