Toyota Connected North America Announces Executive Changes

James George, currently TCNA executive vice president and deputy chief executive officer, is promoted to Toyota Connected North America president and CEO, succeeding Christopher Yang.

As executive vice president and deputy chief executive officer, George has been responsible for guiding and executing strategy for the company’s role as a software center of excellence. George also serves on TCNA’s board of directors. Previously, George served as deputy COO for TCNA from 2019 until 2021.

George, who joined Toyota in 2007, has held multiple roles across the organization in strategic planning, research, marketing and leadership. He will continue to hold a dual-capped role at Toyota Motor North America as general manager, Enterprise Strategy and Solutions, reporting to Christopher Yang.

George was named as a 2020 Automotive News “Rising Star.” He earned his bachelor of business administration in finance from Loyola Marymount University and his master of business administration from Georgetown University.

“James is the ideal leader to succeed me in this role. He has been a part of TCNA’s journey since 2019. His experience and accomplishments during his tenure give me the utmost confidence in his ability to continue leading TCNA’s evolution,” said Christopher Yang, current TCNA president and CEO.

Yang will transition to senior advisor and board member for TCNA. Additionally, Yang has been appointed to senior vice president, Enterprise Strategy and Solutions, Toyota Motor North America. In this role, he will be responsible for guiding strategy, new business and investments for Toyota as it transitions to a mobility company. He also assumes the role of deputy chief compliance officer and deputy chief risk officer for Toyota Motor Corporation, leading Global Compliance and Global Risk across Toyota’s operations in seven global regions.