Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has announced executive changes aimed at promoting growth, enhancing vehicle electrification efforts, and preparing for future mobility advancements.
Elizabeth “Liz” Gibson has been promoted to group vice president and general counsel of Toyota Legal One (TL1), effective May 19. She will report to Sandra Phillips, senior vice president of Enterprise Integrity, chief sustainability officer, and chief legal officer at TMNA. Gibson’s responsibilities will include setting legal direction and strategy for TMNA and managing TL1, which oversees the legal teams in Toyota de Mexico and Toyota Puerto Rico. Her role also involves advising TMNA business division leaders to support business objectives while mitigating risks.
Gibson has a 19-year tenure at Toyota, working across various automotive industry disciplines with a focus on customer-first solutions.
Susan Elkington, executive technical advisor for Toyota Global and North American Sustainability, is set to retire on August 1, 2025. Before her current role, Elkington was senior vice president of Electric Vehicle Supply, focusing on battery and electric vehicle production strategies. Her career with Toyota began in 1998 as an assembly engineering specialist at TMMI. By 2013, she became manufacturing vice president and later served as general manager of the Production Control Division at TMC.
Elkington has been recognized as a leader in the automotive industry through various accolades including being named in Automotive News’ 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry (2020) and being an inaugural inductee into the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame (2020).
Toyota continues its commitment to sustainable mobility through its brands Toyota and Lexus. The company employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S., contributing to over 35 million cars’ design, engineering, and assembly across its manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s North Carolina plant will start producing automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
For more information about Toyota’s initiatives and offerings, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
