Toyota Raises Board Level Domestic Content
Further to Ed Niedermeyer’s comments on local content of cars, Toyota announces changes to the most precious content of all: Who’s in the top slots of their presences abroad. In one fell swoop, Toyota replaced leading positions in the U.S.A. and Europe with local content.
In a press release, Toyota said the company” is stepping up the appointment of local personnel—with intimate knowledge of local conditions—to senior management positions.” Here’s the table of recent changes:
Appointment of Local Personnel to Senior Management Positions at Overseas Affiliates
CompanyTitleHolderCurrent HolderNorth AmericaToyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc.PresidentChris NielsenKenji FukutaToyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc.PresidentNorm BafunnoKazumori OiToyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc.Chairman*1Steve St.Angelo–PresidentWil JamesSteve St. AngeloToyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc.Chairman*1Real C. Tanguay–PresidentBrian KrinockReal C. TanguayEuropeToyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME)PresidentDidier LeroyTadashi ArashimaToyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey Inc.PresidentOrhan OzerTamer UnluToyota Motor Manufacturing Poland SP.zo.o.PresidentCarl Klemm*2Kenji Manabe*1Newly created position; *2Effective as of April 1, 2010
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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I believe that this will be a good thing. It's not a matter of nationalism or racism here, but approach to business and engineering. In cost management matters, Americans are taught to ask themselves, "how can I make the same quality of product for less money?. Japanese are taught to ask themselves, "how can I make the product better for the same money?". Ultimately neither approach can ever be successfully obtained. However let's look at the long-term consequences of each: The American approach keeps price down but with gradually diminishing quality and features. The Japanese approach improves quality and features but price creeps up. The American approach has literally killed GM, and was starting to nibble at the edges of Toyota reputation. The interiors of the Camry have been really cheap in the last few years and we need not mention the accelerator scandal. So, I believe that this is in the best long-term interest of the company, and, in fact, I recommend it to GM: hire some Japanese executives. Oh, and they cost less that their U.S. equivalents too.
Reminds me so much of that old joke re. the difference between heaven and hell... HEAVEN : * The police are British * The chefs are French * The mechanics are German * The lovers are Italian * and it’s all organized by the Swiss. HELL : * The chefs are British * The mechanics are French * The police are German * The lovers are Swiss * and it’s all organized by the Italians.