Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has announced executive changes aimed at supporting growth, vehicle electrification, and future mobility initiatives. Effective January 1, 2026, Masahiro Seri will take over as senior vice president and chief production officer for Production Engineering and Manufacturing. He will report to Mark Templin, TMNA’s chief operating officer.
Takefumi Shiga, who currently serves as executive vice president of Production Engineering and Manufacturing, will return to Japan for a new leadership role with Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). During his tenure at TMNA since January 2023, Shiga led improvements in production innovation and operational efficiency across Toyota’s North American operations. His work included overseeing all manufacturing and production engineering activities for the company’s 14 plants in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He also played a key role in developing Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina—a $13.9 billion investment that marks Toyota’s first battery plant in North America.
Mark Templin commented on Shiga’s contributions: “We are deeply grateful for Shiga-san’s tremendous contributions. His leadership advanced innovation and strengthened the flexibility of our production systems—critical to Toyota’s manufacturing future. We wish him continued success in Japan.”
Templin also welcomed Seri to his new position: “At the same time, we are excited to have Seri-san step into this key leadership role. His experience, technical expertise, and collaborative approach will help guide our production engineering and manufacturing teams as we continue to innovate and deliver the highest-quality vehicles to our customers.”
Seri joined Toyota in 1993. Most recently he served as plant general manager at the Tahara plant where he oversaw production of several models including the Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser as well as Lexus vehicles such as GX, LX, IS, and NX. His previous roles include management positions within global production operations, body production engineering, vehicle logistics at TMC, and an assignment with Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile in the Czech Republic.
Toyota employs about 64,000 people directly across North America with its workforce contributing to nearly 49 million cars and trucks assembled at its facilities. In 2025, the company began assembling automotive batteries for electrified vehicles at its plant in North Carolina.
More information can be found at www.ToyotaNewsroom.com
