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Toyota on Saturday announced the death of its former President, Tatsuro Toyoda. A statement issued in Toyota City, Japan said Toyoda died of pneumonia at the age of 88 on December 30, 2017.
The statement said a private vigil and funeral had been held by close relatives, with Toyoda’s surviving wife, Ms. Ayako Toyoda, representing the family.
Toyota disclosed that it plans to hold a farewell gathering for the late Toyoda at a later date.
Born on June 1, 1929, Toyoda joined Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in 1953 after earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Tokyo. He later gained an MBA from New York University in 1958, where he studied under the well-known quality-control expert, Professor W. Edwards Deming.
Toyoda’s career focused mostly on overseas marketing, but he was also involved in domestic marketing and product planning. He became a director at TMC in 1974 and devoted much of his energy to international operations. He supervised the preparations for Toyota’s joint venture with General Motors in California, U.S.A., New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), which began production in 1984.
As NUMMI’s first president, Toyoda introduced a new style of labor-management relations that blended the best of both cultures, resulting in tremendous advances in productivity.
Returning to Japan, Toyoda became senior managing director at TMC in 1986 and executive vice president in 1988. In 1992, he assumed the role of president, and in 1995, vice chairman.
Toyoda became senior advisor to the board in 1998 and advisor in 2014.
Key non-TMC posts held by Toyoda:
• International Trustee, International House (February 1991-)
• Director, Institute for International Economic Studies (June 2011-)
• Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees, Toyota Technological Institute (June 2011-)
• Honorary Chairman, Toyota Foundation (June 2011-)
• Honorary Chairman, Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (October 2013-) • Director, Genesis Research Institute Incorporated (June 2016-)
Awards and citations he received in his lifetime included:
• Medal with Blue Ribbon, Japan, 1992
• National Order of the Southern Cross, Brazil, 1994
• Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Japan, 1999
• Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog, Denmark, 2000
