- Ted Ogawa to Return to Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan as Senior Fellow
- Mark Templin Named President and CEO, TMNA
- Hiroshi Nambu Named COO, TMNA
PLANO, Texas, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) announced a leadership transition effective January 1, 2027. Ted Ogawa, TMNA’s president and chief executive officer, will return to Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in Japan as Senior Fellow. In this role, he will oversee external affairs activities for some Toyota-owned businesses.
Ogawa will continue as CEO through December 31, 2026, and serve as Senior Executive Advisor from January through March 2027, before assuming his new role at TMC in April. Effective January 1, 2027, Mark Templin, currently TMNA’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, will succeed Ogawa as president and CEO, TMNA. Hiroshi Nambu, currently president of TMC’s Business Planning & Operation division, will succeed Templin as TMNA’s chief operating officer.
The appointments reflect Toyota’s commitment to developing experienced global leaders and strengthening collaboration across its regions.
Since becoming CEO of Toyota’s North American operations in April 2020, Ogawa has guided the company through unprecedented industry challenges, including a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions and regulatory challenges, all while investing in manufacturing, technology and people. His leadership strengthened Toyota’s commitment to building vehicles where it sells them and supporting local communities through investment and job creation.
A key milestone was the 2025 opening of Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina, Toyota’s first in-house battery plant outside Japan. The nearly $14 billion investment, creating up to 5,100 jobs, marked a major step in the company’s electrification strategy.
Toyota also announced plans to invest up to $10 billion more in U.S. operations over five years, bringing its total U.S. investment to nearly $60 billion. More recently, it announced a $3.6 billion expansion of its San Antonio, Texas, manufacturing operations to increase production capacity and create approximately 2,000 jobs.
Ogawa strengthened Toyota’s North American organization by fostering greater collaboration across manufacturing, research and development, sales, marketing and corporate teams.
He championed operational excellence, customer choice and the Toyota Way principles of continuous improvement and respect for people. He also advocated for Toyota’s approximately 65,000 North American employees, as well as its dealers, suppliers and local communities.
“Leading Toyota in North America has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Ogawa. “I am proud of and deeply grateful to our team members, dealers and partners for strengthening our business and building a foundation for the next generation. As I begin a new chapter, I look forward to supporting a smooth transition and continuing to contribute to Toyota in Japan.”
Ogawa joined Toyota Motor Corporation in 1984 and has held leadership roles in Japan, China and the United States. Before becoming TMNA CEO, he served as its executive vice president and chief operating officer. He also served as deputy CEO of Toyota’s China Region and president of Toyota Motor China Investment Co., Ltd.
New Leadership for Toyota Motor North America:
As president and CEO, Templin will lead Toyota’s North American operations, including manufacturing, research and development, sales, marketing, product support and corporate functions. Nambu will succeed Templin as COO, TMNA.
“Mark has the experience and vision to build on Toyota’s strong foundation in North America,” said Ogawa. “As the automotive industry continues to evolve, he will strengthen our competitiveness, support our team members, dealers and suppliers, while delivering products and mobility solutions that meet our customers’ diverse needs.”
“Ted’s leadership and commitment to Toyota’s values have strengthened our North American operations, expanded our manufacturing footprint and positioned us for continued success,” said Templin. “His experience and perspective will be invaluable in his new role at TMC. I’m honored to build on the foundation he established, working alongside our team members, dealers and suppliers to continue earning our customers’ trust and prepare Toyota for the opportunities ahead.”
Nambu, currently president of TMC’s Business Planning & Operation division, oversees planning functions spanning sales, operations, mobility and the value chain. He joined Toyota in 1993 after graduating from Keio University’s Faculty of Law and later worked at Toyota Motor Sales USA.
From 2004 to 2007, he helped coordinate product planning and development among Toyota’s U.S. sales, manufacturing and technical organizations. His experience in Japan sales from 2013 to 2017 deepened his understanding of Toyota’s founding principles, including customer first, genchi genbutsu and partnership with dealers. His career has also included roles in Corolla channel operations and product and cost planning transformation. Drawing on experience in headquarters planning and sales in the United States and Japan, he built strong relationships with regional teams and stakeholders in his recent global business planning role.
“I’m excited to return to North America and take on this new responsibility at such an important time for Toyota,” said Nambu. “Having worked closely with our North American operations throughout my career, I have tremendous respect for the strength of our team, our dealer and supplier partnerships, and the opportunities ahead. I look forward to working alongside Mark and our entire team to strengthen our competitiveness, enhance collaboration across our operations and deliver even greater value to our customers.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
Media Contact
Greg Thome
greg.thome@toyota.com
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America
