Toyota’s North American subsidiary is about to get a new leader in a longtime company executive.

Masahiro Seri replaces Takefumi Shiga, who’s filled the lead production, engineering and manufacturing role for nearly three years. Shiga is taking a “new leadership assignment” at Toyota’s global headquarters in Japan.

The changeover is effective Jan. 1. In announcing the appointment of Seri, Toyota said in part that it intends to “advance its commitment to vehicle electrification.” 

Toyota approached electric vehicles with much more caution as automakers across the world rushed timelines to flip their entire lineups to electric by next decade. When their ambitious plans met slower consumer demand than expected, many pulled back to more organic change like that of Toyota, which pioneered hybrids.

Company Chairman Akio Toyoda, grandson of Toyota’s founder, said last year after stepping down from the president post in 2023 that other alternative fuels can help reduce harmful emissions and that gas-powered cars can still play a role.

Toyota’s announcement of the North America executive change didn’t elaborate on what it might mean for its electrification strategy. It also mentioned a goal of continued growth in the important market for the world’s best-selling automaker, which like its competitors has already taken a sizable hit from U.S. trade tariffs to the tune of more than $1 billion.

The company said the departing Shiga introduced major production innovation, along with manufacturing efficiency, “achieving key gains in quality, safety, sustainability, and new product launches,” including production system flexibility. 

The Trump administration has pressured overseas automakers to increase auto production in the U.S., and Toyota has announced increased hybrid production here. It also said it plans up to $10 billion more in U.S. investment over five years, though it hasn’t provided details.

Seri and Shiga joined Toyota within a year of each other in the early 1990s.

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