TITLE: President, ED2 (Toyota Europe Design and Development)
COMPANY: Toyota Motor Europe
BASED: Nice, France
AGE: 47
NATIONALITY: American

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Ian Cartabiano began his career at Toyota in 1997 after receiving a degree from Art Center College of Design in California, where he also was an instructor for 18 years. He has worked at Calty Design Research in California as studio chief designer, including an assignment in Japan while leading Camry exterior design. He became president and director of design at ED2 in January 2018. Cartabiano’s design resume includes the Toyota C-HR, the 2018 Toyota Camry, and concept vehicles for Toyota and Lexus brands. Most recently, he was responsible for the Toyota Aygo X Prologue concept and advanced design for the Toyota bZ4X electric SUV. 

REASON FOR WINNING

Much of the polarizing new visual identity of Toyota and Lexus models on global markets comes from the designs of an American based in the south of France. Ian Cartabiano was responsible for the C-HR compact coupe-style crossover, which established a bold design focus for Toyota in Europe, becoming one of the most profitable cars in the region and a best-seller in its segment while the establishing the public’s awareness of the Japanese brand as a design leader.

As chief designer of the Lexus LF-LC concept (which became the LC coupe), Cartabiano helped establish the premium brand’s design identity in Europe. With the electrified Lexus LF-30 in 2019 he set Lexus’s BEV design direction, with its signature “spindle” grille that was extended to the concept’s form language and profile. The recent LF-Z concept expanded the language to the interior layout. Finally, with Toyota Europe’s head of product planning Andrea Carlucci, Cartabiano is the co-father of the Aygo Prologue X concept, a new type of minicar that references SUVs and crossovers and will go into production in 2022.