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Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Announces Organizational Refinements for the 21st Century

31 March 1998

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Announces Organizational Refinements for the 21st Century

    TORRANCE, Calif., March 30 -- In order to better position
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. to capitalize on future challenges, to
reflect the growing importance of the New Era Business strategy and to assure
the successful launch of the University of Toyota, TMS President and CEO
Yoshio Ishizaka today announced key refinements to the company's
organizational structure, effective April 1, 1998.
    The centerpiece of the new organization is a consolidation of the
operating divisions reporting directly to Executive Vice President Yale
Gieszl.  In this regard, the number of separate operating divisions has been
reduced from 10 to the following six major groups:  (1) Planning and
Development; (2) Automotive Operations; (3) Customer Services Division; (4)
Legal and Risk Management; (5) Industrial Equipment; and (6) External Affairs.
All group heads will report to Gieszl.
    Senior Vice President J. Davis Illingworth will head the newly created
Planning and Development Group.  Reporting to him will be:  David Danzer, vice
president - Corporate Planning; John Koenig, vice president - Motorsports;
Steven Sturm, vice president - New Era Business program; and Richard Chitty,
vice president - University of Toyota.  Sturm was formerly a corporate
manager.  The University of Toyota will consolidate and expand dealer and
associate training, which is currently dispersed among several departments.
    Senior Vice President James Press will head the newly created Automotive
Operations Group.  Reporting to him will be:  Donald Esmond, group vice
president and general manager - Toyota Division; Bryan Bergsteinsson, group
vice president and general manager - Lexus Division; Robert Daly, vice
president - Toyota Logistics Services; and Alan Cabito, vice president Sales
Administration.  Esmond and Bergsteinsson were formerly vice presidents.
    John Turmell will continue to lead the Customer Services Division (CSD).
The North American Parts Logistics Division (NAPLD), headed by Group Vice
President Robert Bennett, will be consolidated under CSD.  Turmell has been
nominated for promotion to senior vice president, subject to TMS Board
ratification later this year.
    William A. Plourde, Jr., will continue to be in charge of Legal Affairs
and Risk Management.  Reporting to him will be:  Dian Ogilvie, group vice
president and general counsel; and Virginia Lawson, national risk manager.
Ogilvie was formerly vice president and assistant general counsel.  Plourde
also has been nominated for promotion to senior vice president, subject to TMS
Board ratification later this year.
    Group Vice President Richard Gallio will continue to head the Toyota
Industrial Equipment (TIE) Group, which also includes the Toyota Marine Sports
division formed 14 months ago.
    Senior Vice President Jim Olson will continue to head the External Affairs
Group.
    Additional senior management promotions elsewhere in TMS include:  Barbra
Cooper to group vice president - Information Systems; Michael Deaderick to
group vice president - Operations for Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC);
Robert Allen to vice president - International Operations for TMCC; David
Pelliccioni to vice president - Marketing for the Toyota Division; Michael
Whitman to vice president - Operations for NAPLD; Dudley Hawley to vice
president - Administration, and Robert Romero to vice president - Accessory
and Product Development.
    Cooper reports to Douglas West, TMS senior vice president - Finance,
Information and Human Resources.  Deaderick and Allen report to George Borst,
senior vice president of Toyota Motor Credit Corporation.  Whitman reports to
Bennett.  Hawley reports to Robert Pitts, group vice president - Finance and
Administration.  Romero reports to Turmell, and Pelliccioni will report to
Esmond.
    "The speed of change in the automotive industry will require ever-quicker
and more creative planning and decision making," said Ishizaka.  "Winning
companies will have clear, well-thought strategies, strong cross-
organizational communication and teamwork, and nimble decision making.  I
believe these refinements will strengthen all of these leadership
characteristics and help transform TMS's organizational structure into even
more of a competitive advantage."

SOURCE  Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc.