Tokyo, Japan, September 7, 2023―Woven by Toyota, Inc. (“Woven by Toyota”), a mobility technology subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation (“TMC”), decided on a new executive structure at its shareholders’ meeting. These changes will take effect on October 1, 2023.
Toyota’s software platform, and a test course for mobility, , will evolve from a preliminary development phase to an execution phase. These changes will ensure efficient decision making closer to the genba and delivery of Woven by Toyota’s technology towards mass production. Woven by Toyota will strengthen cooperation with Toyota and Toyota Group to lead the evolution of advanced intelligent software that contributes to the transformation of Toyota into a mobility company.
New Members of the Board of Directors
| Name | Current position | |
|---|---|---|
| Hajime Kumabe | Chief Executive Officer, J-QuAD DYNAMICS Inc.*1 | |
| John Absmeier | Chief Technology Officer, Woven by Toyota, Inc. | |
Member of the Board of Director Resigning Post
| Name | Current position | |
|---|---|---|
| James Kuffner | Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer, Woven by Toyota, Inc.*2 | |
| *1 | Plan to resign as CEO of J-QuAD DYNAMICS Inc as of September 30, 2023. The appointment of a representative director will be officially decided and made effective at the board of directors meeting of Woven by Toyota as of October 1, 2023. |
|---|---|
| *2 | Scheduled to be appointed as a Senior Fellow of TMC as of October 1, 2023. |
New Executive Structure as of Oct 1, 2023
Members of the Board of Directors
| Name | New position | |
|---|---|---|
| Hajime Kumabe | Representative Director Chief Executive Officer | |
| John Absmeier | Director Chief Technology Officer | |
| Kenta Kon | Director Chief Financial Officer | |
| Julie Hamp | Director*3 | |
| Takanori Azuma | Director*3 | |
| *3 | External board member |
|---|
Member of the Audit and Supervisory Board
| Name | New position | |
|---|---|---|
| Koji Kobayashi | Audit and Supervisory Board Member | |
James Kuffner, Representative Director and CEO of Woven by Toyota stated, “I would like to thank all of our employees and stakeholders who have contributed to the development and growth of Woven by Toyota. We shipped new technology for on Toyota’s MIRAI and LEXUS LS, and created , a software platform designed to deliver new value to future customers. was also established with experimentation to begin in 2025. Now that we are transitioning from early development to a mass production phase, which requires even further collaboration with Toyota and Toyota Group companies. As we enter this pivotal transition phase, I am confident that Kumabe-san, a leader who has extensive experience working closely with the Toyota Group while at Denso and J-QuAD DYNAMICS, is the best person to take on this important role as the new CEO of Woven by Toyota. In my new position as Senior Fellow at Toyota, I will manage the professional development of our software engineers and promote the principles of quality software development globally.”
Hajime Kumabe, who will become Woven by Toyota’s new CEO as of October 1, stated, “I am honored to receive the baton from James and become Woven by Toyota’s new CEO, starting October 1. The automotive industry is said to be undergoing a once-in-a-century transformation in which the role of software is becoming increasingly more important. I believe my mission as CEO of Woven by Toyota is to lead the company in becoming the front runner in the BEV and SDV era through the creation of high quality software for automobiles. We will revolutionize the development and utilization of software in the automotive industry and support Toyota’s transformation into a true mobility company. By leveraging Woven by Toyota’s incredible talent, operations, and advanced technologies such as Arene and AD/ADAS, that were built under James’ leadership over the past five years, and Toyota and Toyota Group’s expertise in car manufacturing and monozukuri, I am confident that Woven by Toyota will successfully implement our mobility technologies into Toyota products throughout this execution phase. Through the execution of our software platform, “Arene”, our test course for mobility, “Toyota Woven City”, and our Automated Driving/Advanced Driver Assistance System, “AD/ADAS”, we will build mobility technologies and social infrastructures that connect “cars,” “people,” and “society” in our continued pursuit of well-being for all.”
