1. Organizational Changes
R&D
<Goals>
- To strengthen the relationships between Mazda's companywide initiatives such as Mazda Digital Innovation (MDI), Mazda Product Development System (MPDS) and cost innovation efforts with its product planning and R&D resources functions as well as accelerate infrastructure developments that reinforce Mazda's future product development capability and capacity for cost innovation.
- To promote a more efficient organization by consolidating the functions of formerly-independent departments within the R&D area into the new R&D Technical Administration Division.
- To implement a more efficient and effective vehicle development process by consolidating the early stages of the development process--specifically, strategic planning, concept development and basic design.
<Details>
- The changes resulted in a departmental realignment, with the Strategic Cost Innovation Division renamed as the Strategic Cost Innovation Department and control of this department being transferred to the R&D Technical Administration Division.
- Control of the MDI & MPDS Planning & Development Dept., Environmental & Safety Engineering Dept., Intellectual Property Dept., and the Technical Research Department are transferred to the R&D Technical Administration Division.
- The Vehicle Engineering Promotion Department has been eliminated and its functions integrated with the Vehicle Development Promotion Dept. to form the new Vehicle Development Promotion Dept.
- The Vehicle Layout Engineering & Computer Aided Design (CAD) Dept. has been eliminated and its functions incorporated into the Vehicle Development Promotion Dept., under the control of the Body Development Dept.
- The Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) Department has been eliminated with some of its functions being transferred to the Vehicle Development Promotion Dept., Chassis Dynamics Development Dept, Crash Safety Development Dept., Body Development Dept., Chassis Development Dept., and Interior Components Development Dept. The remaining CAE Dept. functions have been integrated into the Noise Vibration Harshness (NVH) Development Dept. to form the new NVH & CAE Technology Development Dept.
| <New Post> | <Current Post> | <Name> |
| General Manager Product Profit Control Div. | -- | David F. Stickel |
| Staff Manager Product Profit Control Div. | General Manager Product Profit Control Div. | William J. Obermaier |
| Staff Manager R&D Technical Administration Div. | General Manager Strategic Cost Innovation Div. and General Manager Commodity Cost Promotion Dept. and Deputy General Manager Product Profit Control Div. and Deputy General Manager Program Management Div. and Deputy General Manager Vehicle Development Div. and Deputy General Manager Powertrain Development Div. and Deputy General Manager Purchasing Div. | Tadashi Iwamoto |
| General Manager MDI & MPDS Planning & Development Dept. (R&D Technical Administration Div.) | General Manager MDI & MPDS Planning & Development Dept. | Akihiro Kidani |
| General Manager Strategic Cost Innovation Dept. (R&D Technical Administration Div.) | General Manager Cost Strategy Planning Dept. | Chiharu Mizutani |
| General Manager Environmental & Safety Engineering Dept. (R&D Technical Administration Div.) | General Manager Environmental & Safety Engineering Dept. | Naoyuki Osaki |
| General Manager Intellectual Property Dept. (R&D Technical Administration Div.) | General Manager Intellectual Property Dept. | Yoshiyuki Asada |
| General Manager Technical Research Dept. (R&D Technical Administration Div.) | General Manager Technical Research Dept. | Toshiaki Nishida |
| Deputy General Manager Vehicle Development Div. | Deputy General Manager Vehicle Development Div. and General Manager Vehicle Development Promotion Dept. | Kazuo Kubo |
| Deputy General Manager Vehicle Development Div. and General Manager Vehicle Development Promotion Dept. | Deputy General Manager Vehicle Development Div. and General Manager Vehicle Engineering Promotion Dept. | Takahisa Sori |
| Staff Manager Vehicle Development Div. | General Manager Body Development Dept. | Chikashi Kawamoto |
| General Manager NVH & CAE Technology Development Dept. | General Manager CAE Dept. | Seiichi Ando |
| General Manager Body Development Dept. | General Manager Vehicle Layout Engineering & CAD Dept. | Takeji Oya |
| General Manager Chassis Development Dept. | General Manager NVH Development Dept. | Hiroyuki Matsumoto |
| General Manager Vehicle System Development Dept. | General Manager Chassis Development Dept. | Shin Takehara |
| Program Manager Powertrain Development Div. | General Manager Drivetrain Development Dept. | Shigeru Matsuno |
| General Manager Drivetrain Development Dept. | Manager AT Engineering Gr., Drivetrain Development Dept. | Toshiyuki Kikuchi |
| Senior Research Engineer Technical Research Center | General Manager Vehicle System Development Dept. | Kenji Shodai |
