Brian Mason has retired from Toyota Motor Sales, where he worked for outbound logistics arm Toyota Logistics Services (TLS), and has taken up a position this month as vice-president of planning, analysis and development at Pasha Automotive Services, which provides vehicle logistics services throughout North America.
Mason spent 31 years with the carmaker in the US, most recently as TLS’s national manager for strategic planning and communications, based at its current headquarters in Torrance, California. Mason focused on a range of cost and performance analysis across Toyota’s outbound logistics operations, as well as communication with its logistics providers. In his new role at Pasha, he will also provide financial reporting and analytics, including developing and tracking key performance indicators, identifying market trends, establishing operational targets and developing business opportunities.
Mason’s role at Pasha, based at its headquarters in National City, near San Diego, is a hybrid of a former position that focused primarily on financial analysis, and has been expanded to include more operational analysis and business development.
“I hope to bring the ‘OEM perspective’ to Pasha Automotive Services in regards to expectations of quality, performance and communications,” Mason told Automotive Logistics. “I also aim to support Pasha’s many OEM customers by identifying opportunities to enhance customer value via detailed analysis and strategic planning.”
Brian Mason’s career at Toyota was primarily spent in vehicle logistics, distribution, IT, finance and financial services. Prior to his role in strategy, he was national manager of business systems, as well as for marine and export logistics.
At the Finished Vehicle Logistics North America conference this past June, Mason highlighted system improvements at Toyota as well as a willingness to work more strategically with logistics providers to overcome chronic capacity and weather-related issues, particularly for rail transport (click here to see a video).
“Brian brings with him a wealth of industry experience and proven practices gained over 31 years with Toyota,” said John Pasha, senior vice president of Pasha Automotive Services. “He also has a well-deserved reputation for his lean management methods in the finished vehicle logistics field. His knowledge, expertise and integrity will serve to grow Pasha Automotive’s business through enhanced quality and delivery standards.”
Pasha added that, given the automotive industry was in high gear, Mason would be a welcome addition in helping the company meet its commitments to solving capacity constraints and the challenges of a booming market.
Mason spoke highly of his time with TMS. “Toyota is more than a company, it is a culture unto its self, with a shared dedicated to quality and the customer that spans the enterprise,” he said.
Pasha works with Toyota in a number of its port-related and distribution services, including shipping vehicles to Hawaii.
TMS said that there will be no replacement for Mason position but that his responsibilities will now divided between Mary Rose, senior manager for TLS Vehicle Logistics Planning & Systems and Rick Wishon, who is manager for TLS Planning and Communications.
A spokesman for Toyota said about Mason: “His many years of service and contributions are greatly appreciated and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
Toyota Motor Sales is in the process of relocating its headquarters from Torrance to Plano, north of Dallas, in Texas, where it will share a campus with Toyota’s manufacturing arm to form Toyota North America. While the final move will not be complete until 2017, the TLS division is among those relocating as early as this year.
