Sydney, Australia – John Pappas, formerly the chief marketing officer at Toyota Australia, has been appointed as the new chief executive at Lexus Australia, Toyota’s luxury vehicle division. He brings in to the company 25 years of automotive experience, including in a variety of senior international, national and regional roles.
Speaking about his appointment, Pappas said, “I am really excited to build on the strong momentum for Lexus, supported by stunning new models including our first all-electric vehicle, UX 300e, the upcoming all-new NX range and the next-generation flagship LX SUV.”
He has completed assignments in national sales, regional operations, parts supply and logistics, before spending two years at the group’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore.
During his stint at Toyota Australia over the past five years, he has applied his industry insights, business acumen and strategic thinking to leadership of the sales and then the marketing divisions.
He will be succeeding Scott Thompson, who joins mobility services brand KINTO in Europe as vice president operations for business development and technology.
Toyota Motor Corporation Australia President and CEO Matthew Callachor said Thompson’s four years at the helm of Lexus Australia had been characterised by an unrelenting focus on the total ownership experience.
“Scott’s passion for Lexus to have a deep understanding of the needs and lifestyles of our customers has resulted in the introduction of our top-tier owner-benefits program, Lexus Encore Platinum,” Callachor said.
