TORONTO -

Toyota recently announced executive changes across its North American operations, effective Jan. 1, including naming the first Canadian president and chief executive officer of Toyota Canada.

Larry Hutchinson, vice president of sales and marketing, has been appointed to lead Toyota Canada Inc. and will be the first Canadian to assume the role.

In his new role, Hutchinson will oversee all aspects of sales and marketing for the automaker in Canada and will be reporting directly to Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America.

Additional executive changes include the appointment of Cyril Dimitris, director of Lexus and Scion Divisions in Canada to vice president of sales, reporting to Hutchinson.

And Jennifer Barron, national manager of service retention, has been named director of the Lexus Division, also reporting to Hutchinson.

“These changes demonstrate Toyota’s commitment to the growth of its business in Canada, better positioning the company for sustainable, long-term growth both in North America and globally,” the automaker’s release on the news stated.

In his current position, Hutchinson oversees the Dealer Standards and Representation, Lexus Division, Marketing & Customer Experience Management, Sales & Inventory Planning, Scion Division and Toyota Division teams.

The new Toyota Canada chief began his career at TCI as an analyst in 1986, and was involved in the launch of Lexus in Canada as a Lexus district sales manager and then moved to manage vehicle distribution operations. Previous roles also include national manager of Toyota Sales and Marketing and national manager of Lexus Division.

In his past experience, Hutchinson has also managed dealer-related sales processes, such as the Toyota Certified Used Vehicles program.

Dimitris, the new VP of sales at Toyota Canada Inc., has been with the company since 1988. He has worked in a variety of different areas for the automaker, including finance and accounting, human resources, dealer technology and business innovation teams.

“Cyril was an integral part of the Lexus brand transformation which has translated into a new and improved appreciation for the brand, year over year sales records and higher dealer and associate engagement levels,” automaker management shared. 

The new VP was also heavily involved in the Scion dealer expansion, which broadened Toyota Canada’s reach in the market, including the launch of the new Scion iM.

Barron, the new director of the Lexus Division for Toyota Canada, has also been with the automaker for more than 20 years, first joining in 1989. Barron was actually part of the original team that launched the Lexus brand in 1990. She has also played a key role in the After Sales teams and has held positions as national manager of customer relations, and was most recently the national manager of service marketing and retention.