ROME – The number one automaker in the world Toyota has surprisingly announced the appointment of Koji Sato as president and CEO from April 1, in place of Akio Toyoda, grandson of the group’s founder. Toyoda, 66, CEO since 2009, will assume the presidency of the board of directors of the group in place of Takeshi Uchiyamada, 76 years old.
Koji Sato, 53, had been Group Chief Operating Officer and Brand Director since January 2021. Since 2020, he has also served as president of Lexus International Co, Toyota’s premium brand, and president of Gazoo Racing, the group’s motorsports brand.
“To drive change at a time when the future is unpredictable, the leader must continue to stay at the forefront. This requires stamina, energy and passion,” explained Toyoda. And speaking of the new CEO she noted: “She’s young and she has like-minded colleagues, so I expect her to be able to push boundaries that I myself haven’t been able to push.” “I’m an engineer and I’ve been developing cars for a long time. I like making cars,” Sato said of him. These governance changes are to be formalized after the group’s ordinary general meeting later this year.