Toyota New Zealand’s chief executive officer, Alistair Davis, has announced his retirement with the brand’s chief operation officer, Neeraj Lala, replacing him in the top spot.

Davis has been with Toyota more than 40 years and will be non-executive chair on Toyota New Zealand’s board of directors.

Lala takes the helm of New Zealand’s top selling brand from July 1, and with more than 20 years of experience with the company, he is only the fifth local CEO since Toyota’s establishment in New Zealand 50 years ago.

Lala said he was excited to take the helm of Toyota New Zealand as the global company transitioned from a traditional automaker, known for its cars, trucks and vans, to a mobility company focused on future technologies.

“It has been a privilege to serve under Alistair’s leadership over the past decade and I appreciate his encouragement of my career development at Toyota,” said Lala.

“Alistair’s focus on people, culture and sustainability is well-embedded in the company and in the leadership team. I intend to carry on with that core focus, while advocating for an even better use of data and digital assets to get closer to our customers, particularly in these challenging and competitive times,” he said.

Davis said Lala is a qualified leader who thrives on challenges and has the energy and vision to inspire and lead the company forward into a changed world.

“In Neeraj, Toyota has a well-prepared leader to take the company forward in the post Covdi-19 economy. He is an advocate for new ideas when it comes to how automakers market and sell their products in the 21st century.”

Lala is passionate about technology and cars and drives a 2020 Toyota GR Supra. Coincidentally his interests mirror those of TMC President Akio Toyoda who is also a car enthusiast and is passionate to develop further the interface between mobility and digital technology.

Lala joined Toyota New Zealand as an Internet Development Co-ordinator with a Bachelor of Commerce from Victoria University in 1998. Over the years, he worked in most areas of the Toyota business including Marketing, New Vehicles, Product Planning, IT and Used Vehicles. In 2014, he completed an Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA), finishing top in his class with Distinction from Massey University.

He had a three year stint with Toyota Motor Sales in the United States in its Executive Leadership programme, before returning with his family in 2018.