Subaru Announces Management Restructuring and New Divisions Effective April 2026
Subaru Corporation revealed a sweeping reorganization of its executive structure, including new divisions for product portfolio, manufacturing innovation, unified sales, and HR, effective April 1, 2026.
- 2026
- 2025
What Happened
Subaru Corporation announced a major organizational and management overhaul on February 6, 2026, effective April 1, 2026. The changes are designed to support the 'SUBARU Management Policy 2025' by creating more agile structures for product innovation, manufacturing, sales, and human resources. The company established four new divisions: Product & Portfolio Innovation, Monozukuri Innovation Center, Sales & Marketing (integrating Japan and overseas), and Human Resources & General Administration. Executive promotions include Fumiaki Hayata rising to Chairman, while several officers are retiring or moving to affiliate companies.
- Product & Portfolio Innovation Division – integrates product planning, CTO strategy, and cost innovation to develop competitive products.
- Monozukuri Innovation Center – focuses on future-oriented production strategies and advanced manufacturing engineering.
- Sales & Marketing Division – combines Japan and overseas sales units under 'One Subaru' for global market agility.
- Human Resources & General Administration Division – merges HR and general administration to advance human capital management.
- Fumiaki Hayata promoted from Executive Vice President to Chairman.
- Tomomi Nakamura retires as Chairman (term expires June 2026).
- Tatsuro Kobayashi, former Chief Battery Business Officer, becomes President of Subaru Kohsan Co., Ltd.
- Eiji Shibata and Nobuyuki Bando promoted to Managing Executive Officer.
Why this matters
The restructuring aligns Subaru with its 'Management Policy 2025' strategy, aiming to streamline product development, accelerate manufacturing innovation, and strengthen global sales under a single unified organization.
Terms in This Story
- Monozukuri
- A Japanese term meaning manufacturing excellence, emphasizing craftsmanship and continuous improvement.
- CBBO
- Chief Battery Business Officer, an executive responsible for a company's battery-related strategy and operations.
- CTO
- Chief Technology Officer, the executive overseeing technology development and research.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.