CYPRESS, Calif. — Effective Jan. 1, 2009, Carlos (Shozo) Kibata, a veteran with more than 37-years experience with the Toyo Tires Group, will become chairman of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. (TTHA). Kibata is currently president and CEO of TTHA, and was the founding president of Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. (TNA). TNA is Toyo’s ultra-modern passenger car and light truck tire manufacturing plant located in White, Ga. Prior to this position, Kibata served as president of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. (TTC).
Masaharu Yoshimoto, current president and CEO of TTC, is being promoted to president and CEO of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. (TTHA). He joined Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd., the parent company in Japan in April 1972. Yoshimoto served as managing director and CEO of Toyo Tyre & Rubber Australia Limited before joining the U.S. sales subsidiary TTC in February 2005.
Yasushi Takagi will be promoted to president and CEO of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. (TTC). Takagi was appointed executive vice president (EVP) and chief operating officer (COO) of TTC in September 2008. A 27-year veteran of the Toyo Tires Group, Takagi served as general manager, corporate planning department, Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd., from January 2006 to August 2008. Takagi wrote “Mid-Term Plan ’08” and “Vision 15,” both documents outlining strategies and setting goals for global expansion by the company’s 70th anniversary in 2015. He also played a key role in negotiating the recent business alliance with Bridgestone Corp.
