Toyota New Zealand has hired former Ākina Foundation chief executive Louise Aitken to oversee efforts to reduce the carmaker’s environmental impact.
The country's biggest car brand said it’s taking “major steps” to prepare itself for an “innovative future”, with a focus on environmental innovations for business sustainability and the circular economy, and created a new role – partner of circular and climate innovation – for Aitken.
Toyota NZ CEO Neeraj Lala said the company needed to look at “out-of-the-box solutions” in order to achieve a circular economy approach to its supply chain where it focuses on reusing products rather than scrapping them, as part of its goal to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Aitken’s new role would help “accelerate” work in these areas, Toyota said.
“Louise is a highly regarded leader in the areas of social and environmental impact and is dedicated to driving bold climate action,” Lala said.
He said Toyota was excited to have someone of Aitken’s “calibre” joining the Toyota team and would help them “challenge, innovate and accelerate our contribution to a low-emissions society”.
Aitken previously spent four years as chief executive at Ākina.
“This is about continuing to try and make a sizeable difference to the impact we have in Aotearoa, New Zealand, working with key partners to contribute to a low emission circular transport system,” Aitken said.
