‘Robust handover’: Max Yasuda is leaving at the end of this year after 45 years of service with Toyota in Japan and abroad, the past 10 with the company in Australia.

TOYOTA’S decision to quit manufacturing in Australia has led to a mass exodus of its top management team, with the market-leading Japanese brand announcing today that chairman Max Yasuda, president Dave Buttner and executive director of sales and marketing Tony Cramb would all leave the company at the end of this year.

Executive director of manufacturing and purchasing Chris Harrod, and chief executive of Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus, Peter McGregor, will also leave the company, which from January 1, 2018, will be run by Matt Callachor, who steps up from vice-president to president and chief executive officer.

As previously reported, Mr Callachor returned to Toyota Australia in May last year to oversee the company’s transition to a national sales, marketing and distribution company, with responsibility for all non-manufacturing divisions.

In the meantime, Mr Yasuda and Mr Buttner have focused on “strategic matters and long-term planning” – including the manufacturing shutdown, which culminates with the final day of vehicle production at its Altona factory in Melbourne’s south-west on October 3.

Matt Callachor

Asked about the future of the departing executives, such as whether any will be relocated to overseas positions or retained as consultants rather than simply leaving the company, Toyota Australia’s public affairs manager Beck Angel told GoAuto there was “no information as yet as to what is on the horizon” for them.

“They will remain in their current positions for the remainder of the year, so Toyota Australia continues to be their priority this year,” Ms Angel said.

She also said the decisions as to who stayed and who would leave company once it closed its manufacturing operations – which looks set to have a vast amount of experience disappear in one fell swoop – were made “with input from both our parent company, Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan, and Toyota Australia”.

To put this into context, this will mean the loss of 145 years of experience collectively – with Toyota alone – from the five executives concerned, should the chairman (45 years), president (30 years), sales and marketing chief (25 years), Lexus CEO (17 years) and manufacturing/purchasing boss (28 years) all move to rival brands, other industries or retire.

Dave Buttner

Three vice-presidents have been appointed to replace the current director positions.

Toyota’s executive director of corporate services Mike Rausa becomes vice-president of product and support; divisional manager of sales Sean Hanley moves to vice-president of national operations; and southern and central region manager Evan Tsirogiannis steps up as vice-president of regional operations.

Additionally, Scott Thompson will return from Toyota Motor Sales in the United States to become chief executive of Lexus, replacing Mr McGregor who has decided not to relocate from Sydney to Melbourne.

Mr Thompson will have completed a two-year development program that was specifically designed to prepare him for the role, and to become part of Toyota’s top-line team with the company’s transition to a full-line importer.

The news of the Australian management restructure today coincides with the end of the Japanese financial year – a point when senior executive moves are routinely announced – and Toyota said in a statement that the appointments “will allow a nine-month period for a robust handover”.

In the statement, Mr Yasuda described the future as “exciting” and said he was “confident that under the direction of this very strong leadership team, Toyota will continue to go from strength to strength in the Australian market”.

Tony Cramb

“The departing executive team have a key role to play for the remainder of the year,” he said.

“Not only will they continue in their current roles, but they will also act as mentors and provide guidance to the new team.”

Mr Yasuda has been chairman of the board since May 2014 after serving for seven years as president and CEO of the company, handing over to Mr Buttner who was made president at that point.

Mr Yasuda started his career with Toyota in Japan in 1972, moving on to key roles including chairman and CEO of Toyota France before transferring to Australia in 2007.

Mr Buttner has worked for Toyota since 1987, holding a variety of roles in manufacturing, quality administration, purchasing, production control, production engineering and sales and marketing.

He is also currently serving as president of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the peak industry body for the car sector.

Peter McGregor

Mr Cramb has 25 years’ experience in senior management positions at Toyota in Australia and overseas and has been a member of the board since 2013.

He began his career in 1987 as a management trainee with York Motors in Sydney and was responsible for distribution of passenger vehicles throughout NSW and the ACT. In 1992, Mr Cramb became the youngest national manager in Toyota’s history.

Mr McGregor, who took over from Mr Hanley as head of Lexus in December 2015 (who in turn had replaced Mr Thompson), has 40 years’ experience in the Australian motor industry, the past 17 with Toyota Australia across a variety of divisions including marketing, product planning and network and regional development.

Mr Harrod is another Toyota veteran, joining in 1989 and serving on the board since 2010.

By Terry Martin