Toyota announces North American executive assignments

Toyota announced June 27 new assignments for senior level managers at its North American manufacturing operations.

"Our executives recognize the important challenges ahead for Toyota in North America," said Seiichi Sudo, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc. (TEMA). "These assignments will help us further our mission to build the best quality vehicles for our customers."

The new positions are as follows: (key to acronyms follows)

- Gary Convis, chairman, TMMK.  Convis was previously president of TMMK. In addition, Mr. Convis will continue as TEMA executive vice president, focusing on manufacturing operations.

- Steven St. Angelo, president, TMMK. St. Angelo was previously executive vice president at TMMK.

- Kazuhiro Sekiya, senior vice president, Supplier Commodity Engineering and Operations Management & Development, TEMA. Sekiya was previously vice president, Supplier Commodity Engineering at TEMA.

- Koichi Sugihara, senior vice president, manufacturing, TMMK. Sugihara was previously vice president, Powertrain at TMMK.

- Millie Marshall, vice president, Information Systems, TEMA. Marshall was previously general manager, Information Systems at TEMA.

- Cheryl Jones, vice president, Manufacturing, TMMK. Jones was previously general manager, Assembly at TMMK.

- Pat D'Eramo, vice president, Manufacturing, TMMK. D'Eramo was previously general manager, Body Operations at TMMK.

- Al Ackerman, vice president, Powertrain, TMMK. Ackerman was previously general manager, Powertrain at TMMK.

- Bungo Hayashi, vice president, Woodstock Plant expansion, TMMC. Hayashi was previously project general manager, Production Engineering Planning Division at TMC.

- Barry Sharpe, general manager, Paint and Plastics, TMMK. Sharpe was previously assistant general manager, Paint at TMMK.

- Gary Workman, general manager, Quality Control and Quality Assurance,  NUMMI. Workman was previously assistant general manager, Production Control at NUMMI.

TEMA    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

TMC      Toyota Motor Corporation

TMMC    Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc.

TMMK    Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc.

NUMMI   New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc.

Toyota established operations in North America in 1957. By 2008, Toyota will have the annual capacity to build about 2 million cars and trucks in 15 plants across North America. There are more than 1,700 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America, which sell more than 2.5 million vehicles a year. Toyota directly employs more than 38,000 people in North America. Toyota's investment in North America is valued at more than $16.8 billion, and annual purchasing from North American suppliers totals more than $28 billion.