Joby Aviation, Inc. announced the appointment of Tetsuo âTedâ Ogawa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Motor North America, Inc., to the Companyâs Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2023. Toyota is Jobyâs largest external shareholder, having invested approximately $400 million in Joby since 2020. The long-standing partnership between the two companies has seen them work closely together on a wide range of projects to support the development of Jobyâs aircraft, including the design of engineering tools and the layout of Jobyâs production facility.
Dozens of Toyota engineers work side-by-side with the Joby team in California and, in April, the two companies signed a long-term agreement for Toyota to supply key powertrain and actuation components for the production of Jobyâs aircraft. Ogawa oversees all business for Toyotaâs North America region. Previously, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer, and he has held positions including general manager, China Division, for Toyota Motor Corporation, and coordinator at New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota in Fremont, California.
Ogawa will succeed Dr. James Kuffner, CEO and Representative Director of Woven by Toyota, as the Toyota representative on Jobyâs Board.