Akio Toyoda
Japanese business executive (born 1956)
Akio Toyoda (豊田 章男, Toyoda Akio; born 3 May 1956), also known by his racing name Morizo Kinoshita, is a Japanese business executive who is the chairman of Toyota. He was previously the company's president and chief executive officer (CEO).2
From Wikipedia’s article on Akio Toyoda (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born May 3, 1956.1
About
Toyoda is a grandson of the founder of Toyota Motors, Kiichiro Toyoda, and a great-grandson of both the industrialist, Sakichi Toyoda, and the founder of the Takashimaya department stores corporation, Shinshichi Iida.
On 1 April 2023, Toyoda stepped down as Toyota president and became chairman of the board. Toyota's chief branding officer and president of the Lexus division, Koji Sato, succeeded Toyoda as CEO.
From Wikipedia’s article on Akio Toyoda, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2
Companies
Holdings
Stock this person has reported owning, from the forms officers and directors file with the SEC. See the biggest insider stakes.
Shares held
As of each latest filing. The line shows shares held over time.
Recent filings
Early life and education
- Date not recordedKeio University3
- Date not recordedBabson College Master of Business Administration (France)3
- Date not recordedAichi Kyōiku Daigaku. Fuzoku Nagoya Chūgakkō3
Toyoda is the great-grandson of the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works founder Sakichi Toyoda, and grandson of Toyota Motor Corporation founder Kiichiro Toyoda. He was born 3 May 1956, in Nagoya, to Shoichiro Toyoda and Hiroko (née Mitsui). Toyoda's family line have long dominated the upper management of the family businesses since the days his carpenter-farmer great-great-grandfather, Ikichi Toyoda, taught his son fabrication and carpentry. Akio Toyoda was the chief contender for the family business when Katsuaki Watanabe was reassigned as Vice-Chairman in the wake of the quality control crisis.
Toyoda completed his undergraduate degree in law at Keio University and was awarded his Masters of Finance at Babson College, Massachusetts. He would join the family business in 1984.
From Wikipedia’s article on Akio Toyoda (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career
Occupation: entrepreneur, business executive, industrialist, racing automobile driver.8
- Since 2009President, Toyota6
- Since 2009Chair, Toyota7
- 2009 to 2023Chief executive, Toyota5
- Date not recordedFounded Century4
As grandson of the company's founder, Toyoda joined Toyota's board of directors in 2000. In 2005, Toyoda was promoted to the position of executive vice president. In January 2009, it was announced that Toyoda was chosen as the forthcoming president of the company. On 23 June 2009, he was confirmed as the new president, along with four new executive vice presidents and eight new board members. The previous president and CEO Katsuaki Watanabe became vice chairman, replacing Katsuhiro Nakagawa.
In 2012, he was named Autocar's Man of the Year.
Master driver "Morizo"
As an avid auto racing fan and driver himself, Toyoda has participated in several auto races under the pseudonym Morizo Kinoshita. At the 2009 24 Hours of Nürburgring, he finished 81st overall and third in class in a Lexus IS F, and 87th overall and fourth in class with a Lexus LF-A. At the 2014 24 Hours of Nürburgring, he finished 13th overall and first in class with a Lexus LF-A. At the 2019 24 Hours of Nürburgring, he finished 40th overall and third in class with a Toyota GR Supra GT4.
In 2016, Toyota approved the project that would result in the GR Yaris; during the development of that car, Toyoda (as Morizo) served as a test driver. Morizo crashed the first test car during a mid-winter test drive at a Hokkaido track; after exiting the car on his own, he remarked that he did not "like the feel of it". As Morizo, Toyoda continued to drive development prototypes, and since the car's release, has campaigned the car in races.
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Toyota global recalls and Congressional Statement
In the wake of massive global recalls ballooning to 8.5 million vehicles, Toyoda was invited to testify before the U.S. Congress on 17 February 2010, which he accepted. A week later, he issued a prepared statement to the Congress. He focused on three key issues: Toyota's basic philosophy regarding quality control, the cause of the recalls, and "how we will manage quality control going forward". On 24 February 2010, accompanied by president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, Yoshimi Inaba, Toyoda testified before the House of Representatives' Oversight and Government Reform Committee. As the scion of a family known for their contributions to automated manufacturing, Toyoda was personally affected by the quality control crises. In his comments he is quoted as being "deeply sorry" and highlighted the relations between Toyota vehicles in the United States and Americans for fifty years.
Direction of Toyota
At a press event held on 14 December 2021, Toyota unveiled multiple concept cars with battery electric drivetrains, a sign of faith in the future of the technology. In a later interview, he said "“People are finally seeing reality." The New York Times assessed his bet on hybrid vehicles is how the company achieved its 2023 profit of 4.9 trillion yen—the highest in the company's history. Also in 2023, Toyoda stepped down from his role as CEO to become chairman.
In November 2025, Toyoda was seen at the Fuji Speedway wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat and a shirt with the pictures of Donald Trump and JD Vance.
From Wikipedia’s article on Akio Toyoda (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Personal life
Awards
Links
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1WikidataAkio Toyoda on Wikidata
- 2WikipediaAkio Toyoda on Wikipedia
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- 12WikidataAkio Toyoda: award, on Wikidata
- 13Wikidataaward, as reported
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- 15SEC EDGARToyota, Board member
- 16WikidataToyota, Chair
- 17WikidataCentury, Founder
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- 19SEC EDGARForm 4 filed Jul 2, 2026
- 20SEC EDGARForm 4 filed Jun 29, 2026
- 21Wikimedia CommonsAkio Toyoda photo by Moto@Club4AG, CC BY 2.0