JTEKT appoints Yoshihito Kondo as new president, targets integration of core technologies

August 19, 2024

Yoshihito Kondo, who spent 35 years in production engineering at Toyota Motor, has been appointed as the new president of JTEKT, as of June 25. Drawing on his experience, Kondo plans to integrate the various core technologies within JTEKT and maximize technology synergies to create higher value-added products.

Establishing a technology platform

Biography: Yoshihito Kondo
Born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, age 61. Graduated from Osaka Prefecture University (now Osaka Metropolitan University) in 1988 and joined Toyota Motor Corporation. Chief Officer, Power Train Company since 2017, and Field General Manager, Production Engineering Innovation Field since 2019, and President, Production Engineering Development Center since 2020. Advisor to JTEKT since January 2024, and appointed President in June.

“We aim to build a platform that consolidates JTEKT’s various core technologies and knowledge. By leveraging this platform, we will combine these technologies to create unique solutions,” said Yoshihito Kondo, JTEKT’s new president, at a press conference held on June 26 at the company’s headquarters in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture.

JTEKT operates in three main business areas: automotive parts, bearings and machine tools. The company’s strength lies in its diverse core technologies, each of which is owned by different business units. However, these technologies have been used primarily within their original business units; the challenge has been the limited cross-divisional use of these technologies.

Kondo plans to draw on his experience at Toyota, where he established the “Production Engineering Development Center” to integrate internal technologies. “By maximizing technology synergies through our platform, we aim to deliver higher value-added products to our customers,” Kondo emphasized. This strategy is designed not only to strengthen existing businesses, but also to make room for new ventures.

Some initiatives have already been launched. In the machine tool business, for example, JTEKT has developed a silicon carbide (SiC) wafer grinding machine by integrating core technologies from various group companies.

“The ‘J’ in JTEKT stands for ‘Joint’, and ‘TEKT’ means ‘those with technology’. We aim to further integrate our technologies to truly embody ‘JTEKT,'” Kondo emphasized.

A strong bond from the beginning

Kondo joined Toyota Motor in 1988, working primarily in production engineering for a wide range of components, including differential gears and transaxles. In 2020, he established the Production Engineering Development Center, which consolidated production engineering and prototype-related departments across various areas, such as vehicles and powertrains.

In January this year, Kondo became an advisor to JTEKT and assumed the role of president on June 25. Since joining Toyota, he has had a close relationship with the JTEKT Group, co-developing machine tools such as gear cutting machines and lithium-ion battery manufacturing equipment. “I am delighted to be appointed president of JTEKT, a company with which I have a deep connection,” he said.

By: Atsushi Kuwasaki
Staff Editor, SEISANZAI Japan