Toyota Taps Kenta Kon As New CEO In Leadership Shake-Up

Toyota is reshaping its leadership once again, naming Kenta Kon as its next chief executive, with the transition set for April 1. Kon, currently the company’s chief financial officer, will step into the top role as part of a broader management realignment, according to Car & Driver.

The move shifts current CEO Koji Sato into a dual position as vice chairman and chief industry officer. Toyota says the change is designed to reduce Sato’s workload, especially after he took on the chairmanship of Japan’s main auto industry group earlier this year. Under the new structure, he will “focus on the broader industry, including Toyota, as Vice Chairman and CIO, while Kon will focus on internal company management as President and CEO.”

Kon succeeds Sato just three years after he assumed the role following the departure of Akio Toyoda, who stepped down in 2023 after more than a decade leading the company founded by his grandfather. That earlier transition marked a shift away from family leadership, and this latest change continues Toyota’s evolution.

The report says that industry observers see Kon’s promotion as a signal that Toyota is emphasizing financial strategy. Automotive News has described him as a “longtime confidant” of Toyoda, and his background in finance contrasts with his predecessors’ engineering-focused careers. Sato, for example, previously led Lexus and Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division, helping expand the company’s performance brand and develop models like the GR Corolla and Supra.

Kon’s former role as CFO will now be filled by executive vice president Yoichi Miyazaki, who has held the position before.

At a news conference in Tokyo, Kon made clear that profitability will be central to his leadership. “My role will be establishing this good profit structure, this foundation, so that the people can take on courageous challenges,” he said. “I want to use that money for the future of Toyota.”

With Kon focusing on internal management and financial strength, and Sato turning his attention to industry-wide issues, Toyota Motor Corporation is betting that a clearer division of responsibilities will help guide the automaker through its next phase of growth and competition.