Who was Toyota Motor Corporation's first president?

Rizaburo Toyoda was Toyota Motor Corporation’s first president.

Toyoda, whose name is also rendered Risaburo in some English transliterations, was a Japanese entrepreneur and a member of the family business that developed into Toyota. He was the son-in-law of Sakichi Toyoda, founder of Toyota Industries, and the brother-in-law of Kiichiro Toyoda, who established the automobile company.

Toyota Motor Company was incorporated on August 28, 1937, as an automotive spin-off from Toyota Automatic Loom Works. Rizaburo Toyoda became its first president, while Kiichiro Toyoda served as vice-president and led much of the technical and manufacturing work. Rizaburo’s leadership helped connect the new automobile enterprise to the established Toyoda industrial group.

Kiichiro succeeded him as president in 1941. Rizaburo’s role is easy to confuse with later Toyoda family leaders, especially Eiji Toyoda, who became president decades later and helped build Toyota’s international success. He is also sometimes confused with Kiichiro, the company’s founder and principal automotive pioneer.