Toshiba Lays Off 60 in Corporate Shuffle

Toshiba America Information Systems, which earlier this year laid off about 285 people, laid off 60 more employees last week as part of a corporate reorganization.

The computer manufacturer has reorganized its five divisions into two operating groups, each reporting to a different executive, said Robert A. Wittenburg, a spokesman for the Toshiba Corp. subsidiary.

Most of the layoffs involve employees who work in accounting, human resources or other corporate staff jobs that now will be handled by the two operating groups, Wittenburg said.

The layoff is the third this year for Irvine-based Toshiba America, which will have about 1,650 employees after the latest job cuts. In the first two months of the year, the company laid off about 225 people, citing stiff competition in the computer industry.

“It’s more an internal restructuring to make things more efficient,” Wittenburg said. “The moves earlier this year positioned the company to respond to the recession.”

Michael Winkler, a former Xerox Corp. executive who joined the company in October, will continue as general manager of Toshiba’s Computer Systems Group, which designs, builds and manufactures the company’s portable computers and circuit boards.

Ken Yokoo, an executive vice president who joined the company in October from the parent company, will lead the company’s Office Automation Group, which includes copier products, disk drives and telecommunications gear.

Kiichi Hataya will continue as president of Toshiba America Information Systems. However, rather than supervising each group, he will focus much of his attention on management issues facing the computer systems group, Wittenburg said.