Subaru Corp. said Friday it has named executive vice president Tomomi Nakamura as its new president to revamp top management and enhance quality control following a new inspection scandal.
The appointment of Nakamura, 58, comes as the carmaker revealed yet more misconduct discovered during an internal investigation of earlier problems.
On Friday, the company said fuel-efficiency data had been rigged during final inspections for some new cars. Subaru said it will report investigation results on the case at a later date.
Last year, Subaru admitted it had allowed uncertified staffers to conduct final car tests for more than 30 years at two plants in Gunma Prefecture, leading to a domestic recall of 417,000 vehicles.
Nakamura will officially assume the post of president and chief operating officer following approval at the general shareholders meeting in June, the company said.
President Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, 63, will become chairman but remain CEO. He became president in 2011 and CEO the following year.
Subaru announced the same day that three other executives, including Chairman Jun Kondo, will resign to take responsibility for the inappropriate inspections.
Yoshinaga said he will remain as CEO to lead efforts to strengthen quality control.
Nakamura, currently chairman of Subaru of America Inc., is credited with spearheading the expansion of the company's U.S. operation, which accounts for about 60 percent of Subaru's global vehicle sales.
A Tokyo native, Nakamura joined Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., which renamed itself Subaru last year, in 1982 after graduating from Keio University. He has served as the executive officer since April 2016 and has also headed the corporate planning department.
