Kazuo Tobiyama
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He was born on February 20, 1925 in Nagano Prefecture. He graduated from the mechanical department of Yamanashi Technical College in 1945 and joined Diesel Motor Industry (now Isuzu Motors) the following year. He came up through planning rather than sales or production, serving as a senior staff member of the Planning Office in the Planning Headquarters in 1970 and senior staff member of the Planning Headquarters in 1973. He became a Director in 1976, Managing Director in 1979, Senior Managing Director in 1981 and Executive Vice President in 1982. A career man, he took 30 years from joining to reach the board and 38 to become President.
Selection
In January 1984 he succeeded Toshio Okamoto as President. In the fiscal year ended October 1983, the year before, the company posted an ordinary loss of ¥2.1 billion on net sales of ¥684.6 billion, and in FY ended October 1984, his first year, it recorded an ordinary loss of ¥5.9 billion and a net loss of ¥17.7 billion and suspended its dividend. At the time small trucks and buses accounted for 35% of Isuzu Motors' sales, with small passenger cars only 14%. Under a capital structure with General Motors as the largest shareholder, the Executive Vice President who had drawn up strategy from the Planning Headquarters was assigned to restore earnings.
Initiatives
In 1984, the year he took office, he launched TOC activities, followed by the IPS plant improvement program in May 1985 and the JS office rationalization program in May 1986. In February 1988 the company decided to challenge for the Deming Prize, moving to group-wide total quality control (TQC). It resumed dividends for the fiscal year ended October 1988. In February 1990, however, the Deming Prize challenge was postponed a year, and in February 1991 abandoned. In June 1991 a restructuring plan aimed at returning to profit in FY ended October 1993 was drawn up, but the company again suspended its dividend for FY ended October 1991.
Career
Career
Isuzu Motors
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1946 | Joined Jizeru Motor Industries |
| 1970 | Planning Headquarters, Planning Office, Chief Examiner |
| 1973 | Planning Headquarters, Chief Examiner |
| 1976 | Director |
| 1979 | Managing Director |
| 1981 | Senior Managing Director |
| 1982 | Executive Vice President |
| Jan 1984 | President |
| Jan 1992 | Stepped down as President |
References 1
References (Japanese primary sources)
- 日経ビジネス 1984年4月16日号「飛山一男氏（いすゞ自動車）登場」