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24 • JULY 9, 2007 AUTOMOTIVE NEWS ALL-STARS Toyota’s Watanabe tops as Industry Leader of the Year James B. Treece abe’s purchase in October 2005 of 8.7 [email protected] percent of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., TOKYO — Katsuaki Watanabe has which makes Subaru vehicles. The had a defining 12 months. They de- purchase gave Toyota extra capacity fined the president of Toyota Motor to build Camry sedans at the Subaru Corp. as the Industry Leader of the of Indiana Automotive plant. Year, the most valuable player on the In the past year, Watanabe an- 2007 Automotive News All-Star Team. meet-the-deadline mentality. nounced plans for a radical new The competition was a bit thin this The president also named a senior manufacturing model, albeit one year. For the second straight year, managing director for quality and rooted in the successful Toyota Pro- there is no All-Star award for Top made that his only job. Before, the duction System. He approved a new North American CEO. At the same Toyota senior managing director plant in St. Petersburg, Russia. time, Watanabe, 65, is a repeat win- who oversaw quality had four other Last month, Watanabe cracked Toy- ner as Top Asian CEO. duties, including motorsports and ota’s glass ceiling by naming Ameri- In early July 2006, Watanabe faced vehicle engineering. can Jim Press the first non-Japanese to an unprecedented crisis. Toyota was Watanabe didn’t mince words. sit on the company’s board of direc- on the defensive because of an esca- “Without an improvement in quality, tors. Press is president of Toyota Mo- lating pattern of recalls in the United Toyota cannot expect to grow in the tor North America Inc. States and Japan. There was concern future,” he said. that Toyota executives’ reluctance to But he also insisted that Toyota Topping GM issue a recall over a suspected defect would maintain its growth plans, When Toyota topped General Mo- had led to a death in a southern brushing aside critics of the compa- tors in global sales in the first three TOP CEO — ASIA Japanese city. ny’s rapid expansion. months of 2007, Watanabe refused to Critical investors blamed the tide of Last November, Toyota opened a make a big deal of it. The game isn’t Katsuaki Watanabe defects on Toyota’s headlong expan- plant in San Antonio to build the re- over. President, Toyota Motor Corp. sion in recent years. Calls mounted designed Tundra full-sized pickup. Watanabe may be an All-Star, even for Toyota to slow its growth. That filled the last remaining hole in an MVP, but he’s not satisfied. In They’re No. 1 Toyota’s U.S. product lineup. May, Toyota again announced record Under Watanabe, Toyota has passed General Motors to become the world’s Focus on quality That same month, Toyota bought a revenues and profit for the latest fis- top-selling automaker. The company is posting record profits and is on track Watanabe came out swinging. He 5.6 percent stake in the diesel engine cal year. Then Watanabe offered this to compete — if not lead — in every market segment. Even as it cuts costs, ordered Toyota executives to take the maker Isuzu Motors Ltd., addressing observation: Toyota is launching a drive to improve its manufacturing capability. Watanabe time they needed to ensure quality in what had become the most glaring de- “In every aspect of our business, we is keeping up internal pressure to avoid complacency, making clear that product development. That was a de- ficiency in Toyota’s powertrain array. need to do a better job than in the Toyota will not skimp on quality as it grows. parture from the company’s previous The Isuzu deal followed Watan- past.” c
ASIAN NAMEPLATE EXECUTIVE Jim Lentz Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. Riding a rocket Sales of Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles continue their eye-popping growth. Under Lentz’s leadership, Toyota Division outsold Chevrolet and Ford in the United States in May 2007 — the first month in which an import brand has dethroned the domestics. Toyota’s Camry, Corolla and Prius were among the 10 best-selling U.S. cars. And after a rocky start, the redesigned Tundra pickup has begun to hit its sales marks.
TOP CEO — EUROPE Wendelin Wiedeking MARKETING CEO, Porsche AG John Plecha Turbocharged Director, Jeep brand marketing and Wiedeking led Porsche to a global communications sensational year. The German automaker is putting its Having fun out there house in order — raking in Amid turmoil at the Chrysler group, profits, boosting quality and Plecha has maintained brand focus. even deftly taking control of Jeep sales have stayed strong Volkswagen. thanks to new products, smart marketing strategies and an emphasis on the brand’s off-road DAVID SILPA/UPI PHOTO/NEWSCOM heritage. EUROPEAN NAMEPLATE EXECUTIVE Tom Purves CEO, BMW (U.S.) Holding Corp. Rolling along The leading European automaker in North America stays ahead of Mercedes and Audi with excellent products, exemplary supplier relations and intelligent retailing. With Purves at the helm, the BMW, Mini and Rolls- Royce brands continue to break sales records. AN AUTONEWS 07-09-07 A 26 AUTONEWS 7/5/2007 10:19 AM Page 1
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Fin O’Neill Vice Chairman, Reynolds and Reynolds Co. Changing times After rival Universal Computer Systems launched its takeover of Reynolds and Reynolds last year, O’Neill negotiated a respectable deal for Reynolds shareholders. He then stuck around to help dealers make the transition as the two companies merged operations of their dealership management systems. O’Neill plans to leave the combined company but hasn’t announced a departure date.
PARTS AND SERVICE
Mark Templin ENGINEERING Vice President, Scion Larry Nitz Tuning up Executive Director, global hybrid powertrains, Scion owners like to General Motors personalize their cars. The brand’s new Optimize Economy drive accessories program With Nitz as point man, GM will have eight hybrids on the enables dealers to compete road next year — more than any other automaker. GM’s first with tuner shops by hybrids, the Saturn Green Line models, boost fuel economy installing parts from such 20 percent but cost consumers just $1,995 more than the brands as GReddy, Fizz, gasoline versions. This summer, GM will launch its Two H3R, Sparco, Tein and Mode hybrid in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. That turn3. Some parts even carry will boost the highway fuel economy of the giant SUVs to a Toyota warranty. Templin’s nearly 30 mpg. team provides a smart way to bring aftermarket profits in-house.
FINANCE Stephen Feinberg CEO, Cerberus Capital Management LP Taking Chrysler private DESIGN The low-profile Feinberg led an industry revolution this Walter de’ Silva year when his private equity Head of Group Design, firm bought a controlling Volkswagen AG interest in the Chrysler group for $7.4 billion. The bid Audi-acious includes the absorption of Before moving into his Chrysler’s long-term retiree current job in February, SALES health care obligations. de’ Silva was the top Cerberus also acquired PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT designer at VW’s luxury Bob Carter Tower Automotive for brand, Audi. In that post, he General Manager, $1 billion and has a major Bob Lutz was responsible for Audi’s Toyota Division role in the ownership of Vice Chairman, General Motors influential single-bar grille several other suppliers. and the look of the lovely R8 No limit Crunch time and A5. Before he moved to Toyota Division in May, Carter Lutz is pushing GM to make tough decisions to regain the ran Lexus Division. He showed that a luxury brand lead it ceded to Toyota. Lutzmobiles such as the Saturn does not have to limit sales to maintain its Aura, Buick Enclave and Pontiac Solstice are getting rave prestige, or move downmarket to grow. As Lexus reviews. His advocacy of the Chevrolet Volt concept, a plug- has stayed in the $35,000-and-up price range, in hybrid, reflects the kind of bold thinking on technology sales have risen steadily. Now it is challenging top- that GM needs. end automakers by developing a $100,000 car. AN AUTONEWS 07-09-07 A 28 AUTONEWS 7/5/2007 10:20 AM Page 1
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MANUFACTURING Joseph Hinrichs Vice President, North America manufacturing, Ford Motor Co. Balancing act Hinrichs is working to boost quality and productivity, even as Ford closes plants under its Way Forward recovery program. In the most recent Initial Quality Study by J.D. Power and Associates, Ford won four segments and made big gains elsewhere. The automaker also showed improvements in the new Harbour report, which measures productivity.
Our people: the key to your success. PURCHASING Our people are highly Chris Nielsen Jimmy experienced auto-industry Vice President, purchasing, Atkinson professionals who know vehicle parts and materials, what it takes to run a Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North successful dealership. America Inc. Combine our expertise with Suppliers’ buddy our products and training for Toyota topped this year’s Automotive News Suppliers’ a winning combination. Choice survey, passing BMW. As Toyota North David Call 1-877-651-1032 America’s first non- Jones Japanese purchasing czar, www.assurantsolutions.com/arvs Nielsen oversees a new program designed to PUBLIC RELATIONS VS21882-0607 jadf ® Assurant, Inc. 2007 encourage product and process innovation, not just Steve Harris price cuts, among North Vice President, American suppliers. global communications, General Motors FREE EVENT We’re Giving AwayAll A Summer! Sultan of spin EVERYEVERY WEEK After GM lost nearly ANTONY BOSHIER $2 billion last year, a Detroit newspaper pronounced the company’s turnaround a <3 success. That was a triumph of spin, and no one practices it more artfully J8C 30 • JULY 9, 2007 AUTOMOTIVE NEWS ALL-STARS SUPPLIER Frank Stronach Chairman, Magna International Inc. Magna cum laude While any North American supplier still standing would seem to deserve praise, Magna continues to grow hugely. And the head of any supplier strong enough to consider taking over an automaker — Magna made an interesting, if unsuccessful, run this year at the Chrysler group — deserves an award. GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Josephine Cooper Group Vice President, government and industry affairs, Toyota Motor North America Inc. Join the club Who says a woman can’t succeed at Toyota? Cooper has quietly guided the automaker’s lobbying operation through potentially difficult times. As Toyota keeps getting bigger, there is barely a whisper of complaint in Washington. Largely because of Cooper’s advocacy, the Beltway establishment now accepts Toyota as a member of the club. MINORITY BUSINESS Gregory Jackson CEO, Prestige Automotive Group Fast company Jackson runs the nation’s largest black-owned dealership group, according to Black Enterprise magazine. In 2006, his company’s revenue grew by 50 percent over 2005, to $1.54 billion. Even though much of that increase came from fleet sales, Prestige’s retail sales of more than 15,000 new vehicles last year earned it a spot at No. 43 on this year’s Automotive News list of the top 125 dealership groups. REMARKETING Dean Eisner DEALER CEO, Manheim Mike Jackson CEO, AutoNation Inc. Back to market Eisner’s company is the largest Dealers’ voice U.S. vehicle remarketer. Last year, Jackson, who heads the nation’s Manheim’s physical and Internet largest dealership group, makes auctions sold more than 5 million the All-Star Team for the fifth time. used cars and trucks for its His assertive public role has customers. Under Eisner, Manheim expanded the clout of all dealers. has expanded its online presence Jackson successfully challenged and vehicle reconditioning the Chrysler group to cut programs. production when it was pressuring dealers to take cars and trucks they didn’t want. When he talks, the Detroit 3 listen. So do Toyota, Honda and Nissan.