Toyota has appointed Didier Leroy president of Toyota Motor Europe from 24 June, 2010. He will head all European operations, including manufacturing, engineering, sales and marketing.
Leroy will also retain his current titles of managing officer, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and chief quality officer. He replaces Tadashi Arashima, who is retiring as head of TME.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Leroy, 52, joined Toyota in 1998 as a vice-president in charge of manufacturing to set up the new factory in Valenciennes, France, which builds the Yaris line. He became president of the plant in 2005 and in 2007 was appointed a TMC managing officer TME executive VP.
In 2009 Leroy was reassigned to head TME sales and, after the global sudden acceleration and ‘sticky accelerator pedal’ recall scandals, was named chief quality officer, serving as Europe’s representative on the new TMC special committee for global quality, chaired by company president Akio Toyoda.
Leroy began his career in the automotive industry in 1982 with Renault and held several senior positions at production plants over 16 years. In 1996, he became production chief of the Le Mans plant, becoming the youngest deputy plant director in the Renault group at the time.
