Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has appointed Mr Andy Pfeiffenberger as Vice-President of Lexus Europe, effective 1 September 2008.
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Mr Pfeiffenberger, formerly Vice-President of Toyota Motor in Russia, will oversee the further development of the Lexus brand in Europe. He succeeds Karl Schlicht, who has managed the Lexus brand since 2005 and will assume a new global executive role, effective January 2009.
Mr Pfeiffenberger hails from the United States but has spent most of his career holding international posts across Japan, Europe and North America. Since joining Toyota Motor Corporation in 1986, he has held senior positions in Corporate Affairs and Public Relations, Marketing Communications, Sales Operations and General Management. From 2003 until 2004, he was a core member of the launch team for Toyota’s youth brand in the US, Scion.
In August 2004, Mr. Pfeiffenberger was appointed Vice-President of Toyota’s Russian sales arm, OOO ”Toyota Motor”, responsible for Sales and After Sales operations in Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
In related changes, Mr. Tor I. Berge, ex-President of Toyota Norway, has been appointed Vice-President of Toyota Motor in Russia, while Mr. Lars-Erik Aaroy, formerly TME Director of Toyota Sales Operations, has assumed the role of President, Toyota Norway.
Lexus sold 53,810 vehicles in Europe in 2007, up 87% from 2005. This year the brand has reported January to August sales of 31,940 vehicles – down 13% on the same period in 2007 – against a worsening economic backdrop and tougher external pressures. The company says that despite this, Lexus Hybrid Drive (LHD) continues to outperform and exceed expectations with hybrid models (RX 400h, GS 450h, and LS 600h) representing over one-third of total Lexus sales. Almost 70% of RX customers are now choosing hybrid over petrol.
