Toyota names Japanese executive to head Europe region

Toyota Europe has shuffled positions of the top executives running its European region to ensure continued growth and success, the company said in a release.

Yoshihiro Nakata, 55, was promoted from deputy CEO to CEO of the Europe Region and will be responsible for strategic planning, communication and service as the division liaison with Toyota headquarters in Japan, the company said Monday. 

Matthew Harrison, 55, formerly CEO of the Europe region, will now serve as chief operating officer for Europe and remain responsible for "implementation, operational excellence and commercial success in Europe," the company said.

The company said the changes to its European operations are part of a global approach, announced today by Toyota Motor Corp. under the theme Inheritance and Evolution, and is prompted by a desire "to further accelerate toward a once-in-a-century transformation by further enhancing the flow of expertise between global and regional operations."

The changes come in the wake of Koji Sato's ascension to CEO of Toyota Motor last month, taking over from Akio Toyoda, a member of the automaker’s founding family who will become the company's chairman.

Toyota described Europe as the fastest-changing automotive region globally -- especially in key areas such as carbon reduction and carbon neutrality, electrification, hydrogen economy and mobility solutions.

The automaker's Europe region includes Eurasia, Turkey, Israel and Balkan countries. In 2022, Toyota was the No. 2 brand by volume after Volkswagen in the EU, UK and EFTA (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) counties, with sales of 635,533 and a market share of 6.9 percent, according to the lobbying group ACEA.

Sales were up 8.9 percent in a European market that fell by 4.6 percent overall, ACEA said.

Toyota's new structure was created “to ensure efficient information flow and decision-making with Toyota in Japan, thereby ensuring the further development of Toyota’s businesses in Europe and around the world,” the company said.

According to Toyota, Didier Leroy remains chairman of Toyota Europe.

Nakata joined Toyota Europe on Jan. 1, 2022, as deputy CEO. He was previously CEO of Toyota's Asia Region.

Harrison joined Toyota UK as general manager vehicle marketing in 2000, progressing to the post of marketing director in 2003. In 2005 he moved to Toyota Europe as general manager for corporate planning. In 2008, he was appointed director of Lexus Europe.

In 2015, Harrison was appointed vice president, sales and marketing, Toyota Europe, and in April 2021 became president and CEO, Toyota Europe and CEO, Europe Region for Toyota Motor.

Harrison was named an Automotive News Europe Eurostar in 2020.