Higashi to Leave Joint Venture, Go to Japan

Kan Higashi, president and chief executive of New United Motor Manufacturing since 1986, is stepping down from his job and returning to Japan to take a new position with the parent company, Toyota Motor Corp.

Higashi has been associated with NUMMI, a joint venture of Toyota and General Motors based in Fremont, Calif., since 1983. The venture makes Geo Prisms and Toyota Corollas.

Higashi, 58, will be succeeded by Osamu Kimura, 55, executive vice president. He has been an employee of Toyota for 30 years.

Higashi was made a senior managing director of Toyota in Japan.