Toyota Promotes Press to Senior Managing Director

Toyota Motor Corp. says Jim Press, president-Toyota Motor North America Inc. and currently a managing officer for the company, will become a senior managing director.

The promotion, expected to take effect in June during Toyota’s annual shareholder’s meeting, makes Press the first non-Japanese executive to sit on the company’s board of directors.

Toyota promoted nine other managing officers to the posts of senior managing director, including Toyota Motor Europe President Tadashi Arashima.

Four directors will be retiring, including Yoshimi Inaba, head of Toyota’s China unit.

Also retiring is Gary Convis, executive vice president-Toyota Motor Engineering and Mfg. North America Inc., who holds a managing officer title. Three other managing officers also will retire, Toyota says.

In total, Toyota has named 11 new managing officers for its upcoming fiscal year.

Also named were two new corporate auditors to replace two who are retiring.