TOYODA WILL REMAIN A DOMINANT FORCE

TOYOTA chief Akio Toyoda is set to remain a dominant force inside the world’s largest carmaker for years to come, and will continue to influence the agenda after stepping down in April.

The 66-year-old will step aside as leader of the company his grandfather founded on April 1 to take the role of chairman. He will hand over to Koji Sato, the 53-year-old head of

Toyota’s luxury Lexus brand. “The new appointment is less about a change in direction and more about careful consideration of the best possible way to organise the hand-over, avoiding disruption and chaos,” said Julie Boote, an analyst at Pelham Smithers Associates in London. “It’s likely he’ll remain active as chairman for a long time and continue to put his mark on Toyota.”