Toyota promotes sales and marketing chief

TOYOTA Australia’s long-time sales and marketing chief David Buttner will take on broader responsibilities within the company as part of a promotion to executive vice-president from January 1.

Mr Buttner, who is currently senior executive director of sales and marketing, will add corporate services to his job portfolio, taking the reins of administrative functions such as human resources, corporate affairs, legal and information systems.

His new role covers the bailiwick of current executive director of corporate services Bernie O’Connor, who will relocate to Toyota Motor Asia Pacific in Bangkok as a senior vice-president with regional responsibility for corporate services functions.

The switch comes just weeks after disruptive industrial action over a pay dispute at Toyota’s manufacturing and parts distribution operations in Victoria and New South Wales.

The months-long dispute ended with an apparent victory to the unions, with the company agreeing to a 13 per cent pay rise over 42 months and rolling back demands for absenteeism reductions, after workers rejected an earlier offer in a secret ballot brought on by the company.

Left: Matthew Callachor. Below: Tony Cramb.

Mr Buttner has overseen Toyota’s reign at the top of the Australian automotive sales charts for several years, and is a renowned ‘people person’.

Victorian-raised Mr Buttner – who continues to report to president and CEO Max Yasuda – will also return from the sales and marketing office at Sydney’s Woolooware Bay to Toyota Australia’s Port Melbourne head office to take up his expanded role, which will continue to include product planning and development, along with sales and marketing.

The product planning operations, which are currently split between Melbourne and Sydney, ultimately will be consolidated in Melbourne under Mr Buttner’s direct management.

Current executive director of sales and marketing Matthew Callachor retains that role, becoming the most senior executive in the Sydney office, reporting to Mr Buttner in Melbourne.

Within Mr Callachor’s department, Lexus division chief Tony Cramb also takes on extra duties as Toyota group marketing and national sales senior division manager, while Mr Callachor is directly responsible for retail development, franchise development, service and parts.

The senior management of the manufacturing operations at Altona remains unchanged, with executive director of manufacturing and purchasing Chris Harrod working alongside senior executive director Tatsuo Shinozaki.

Finance control also remains under senior executive director and treasurer Yasushi Nakano, who reports directly to Mr Yasuda.