Koji Sato (佐藤 公治,Satō Kōji; born October 19 1969) is aJapanese mechanical engineer. He has been theChief executive officer ofToyota since April 2023 and the President of the company since June 2023.[1]
Kōji Satō graduated fromWaseda University in 1992 with a degree in mechanical engineering and joined the Toyota Group in April of the same year. As a young engineer in the 1990s and early 2000s, Sato worked directly on project-level development: he contributed to suspension design on earlyhybrid models and led development for vehicles like the North AmericanCamry.[2] That technical grounding gave him intimate familiarity with Toyota’s core engineering and manufacturing values. Transitioning into premium/luxury and high-performance segments viaLexus andGAZOO Racing exposed him to branding, product positioning, and performance engineering.[2] Thus, his rise to CEO in 2023 was timed with a pivotal moment for the auto industry. As CEO, there is a renewed emphasis on design, customer-centric innovation, and diversified powertrain strategies that reflect both legacy and future mobility demands.[1]
In 2016, Satō took over theLexus brand. In September 2020, he was also appointed President of the Motorsport/performance DivisionToyota Gazoo Racing. He was madeChief Branding Officer in January 2021. In April 2023, he succeededAkio Toyoda asCEO of Toyota.[3] He also became the President in June 2023.[1]