Interviews with Former Toyota Presidents by Shinya Yamamoto, Where They Discuss Their Professional Journeys
Toyota's New Leadership: A Passion for Cars and Sustainability
In a significant shift for Toyota, the company's new management team, led by President Koji Sato, is making waves with their deep-rooted passion for cars and a commitment to sustainability.
President Sato's love for cars stretches beyond his professional duties. As a student, he worked part-time at a gas station and Fuji Speedway, fueling his enthusiasm for vehicles. Today, his garage houses notable cars such as the Lexus LC, fourth-generation Supra (A80), and the iconic AE86 Corolla Levin [1]. Sato's personal interest in automotive culture and history is evident, as he frequently checks used car listings and auctions.
Sato's career path took a significant turn during an endurance race in Thailand in 2022, when Akio Toyoda casually asked him if he would be president—a question that significantly altered Sato’s career path. Sato wants to remain "a car-building president," focusing on protecting the intrinsic value of cars while embracing new mobility forms like electrification and hydrogen power [1].
Toyota's new management structure includes the creation of dedicated units for BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) and Hydrogen factories, each headed by Takero Kato and Mitsumasa Yamagata, respectively. Sato, Kato, and Yamagata have been entrusted with leading these new organizations within Toyota [2].
Sato's journey with Toyota began in the Chassis Engineering Division, where he learned the importance of monozukuri—the Japanese philosophy of manufacturing—through hands-on experience. He discovered the joys of monozukuri on the production floor, where he corrected a mistake in the drawings for a suspension lower arm [3].
Sato's colleagues encouraged him to learn about monozukuri in a practical way, and this experience sparked his interest in making parts lighter. The heavy weight of the lower arms led him to start thinking about ways to reduce weight in Toyota's vehicles [4].
In a special series in Toyota Times, automotive analyst Shinya Yamamoto conducted interviews with the three newly appointed presidents. On January 26, 2023, Koji Sato was appointed as the President of Toyota [5]. On April 7, 2023, the new management team held a briefing to present their policies and direction, with the theme "Inheritance and Evolution" [6].
Despite extensive searches, detailed personal stories or explicit accounts of Takero Kato and Mitsumasa Yamagata's personal love for cars have not been found in the current search results [1]. However, it is clear that President Sato stands out as the most prominently documented car enthusiast among Toyota's new top executives.
References: [1] The Drive [2] Automotive News [3] Bloomberg [4] CNN Business [5] Toyota Times [6] Reuters
- Despite his colleagues in leadership positions, like Takero Kato and Mitsumasa Yamagata, not having explicit accounts of their personal love for cars found in the current search results, President Koji Sato, with his notable car collection and frequent browsing of used car listings, stands out as the most prominently documented car enthusiast among Toyota's new top executives.
- Under the new management, Toyota is pushing forward in the automotive industry, investing in dedicated units for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Hydrogen factories, with a focus on technology and finance, aiming to evolve their product lineup and embrace new mobility forms like electrification and hydrogen power.
