Toyota Motor Europe has a new CEO from 1st July. Mr. Tadashi Arashima has been named President and Chief Executive Officer, responsible for overseeing all of Toyota’s European operations, including manufacturing, engineering, sales and marketing. He will also retain his current title of President, Toyota Motor Marketing Europe Company (TMME), and Managing Officer, Toyota Motor Corporation. (TMC).

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Arashima replaces Mr. Shinichi Sasaki, who will return to Japan to head TMC’s Quality Group and continue his role as Senior Managing Director.


Tadashi Arashima graduated from Keio University with a degree in Political Science in 1973. He began working in the North America Division of TMC in Tokyo, Japan, that same year.


In 1977 he moved to Torrance, California, in the U.S. where he worked for Toyota Motor Sales USA (TMS). From 1983 to 1989, back in TMC (Japan) North America Division, he proved to be a key player in the joint effort between TMC and TMS in the planning and launching of the Lexus Division.


In 1990 he moved back to TMS in California and took a sales and marketing job, and was promoted to Vice-President of Corporate Planning in 1993. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Arashima worked in the Production Control Division in Toyota City in Japan.

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In 1998 he was promoted to General Manager in the Europe Africa Division (Japan). In January 2000 Mr. Arashima joined Toyota Motor Europe Marketing and Engineering (renamed Toyota Motor Marketing Europe on July 1, 2002). There he served as Senior Vice-President until 2001, when he was appointed Chief Coordinating Executive of TMME until 2002. In 2003, he was named General Manager, Europe Division, at TMC. Mr. Arashima was named president and CEO of Toyota Motor Marketing Europe in June 2003, as well as being named Managing Officer at TMC.


Following the legal merger of Toyota Motor Europe, Toyota Motor Marketing Europe and Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing in October 2005, Mr. Arashima assumed the position of President, TMME Company, Toyota Motor Europe.


Mr. Arashima is married with two sons.


In other management changes, Mr. Thierry Dombreval has been named Managing Officer, TMC. He maintains his position as Executive Vice-President & COO, TMME Company. Mr. Andrea Formica has been promoted to Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing and After Sales, TMME Company, from his current position of Vice-President, Sales & Marketing.


Sir Alan Jones, Executive Vice-President, R&D/Manufacturing Company, TME, and Chairman, Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd (TMUK), will retire from full-time service effective July 1, 2006, and will assume the position of Senior Executive Advisor, TME, and Chairman Emeritus, TMUK.


Dr. Takis Athanasopoulos, Executive Vice-President, TME, will be retiring from full-time service effective July 1, 2006, and will assume the position of Senior Executive Advisor, TME.


Mr. Graham Smith will assume the position of Senior Vice-President, TME, responsible for External Affairs and Environmental Affairs.