Toyota Motor North America has appointed Takefumi Shiga as the new head of production engineering and manufacturing for its operations in the region and handed him the leading role in developing its first battery manufacturing plant now under construction in North Carolina.
His new role is effective Jan. 1.
Shiga, 55, will have responsibility for all aspects of the Japanese automaker’s production engineering operations and its 14 vehicle and unit plants across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In addition, Shiga will oversee continued development of Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina, the $3.8 billion battery plant under construction near Liberty, N.C., Toyota said.
He succeeds Toshio Niimi, who has been in the role since 2020 and will be returning to Toyota Motor Corp., in Japan, the automaker said.
Shiga, who has worked at Toyota since 1992 and held numerous executive positions, will report to North American CEO Ted Ogawa.