Johan van Zyl, the previous president and CEO of Toyota Europe, died Friday in his native South Africa. He was 63.

The trigger was associated to COVID-19 problems, in accordance with folks acquainted with the matter.

The automaker mentioned Saturday he can be remembered for his humor, calmness and private empathy.

Van Zyl led Toyota’s European operations, which embrace Russia, Turkey, Israel and central Asian international locations, from 2015 till April, when he was succeeded by gross sales and advertising chief Matthew Harrison.

Below van Zyl’s strategic and operational management, Toyota Europe delivered sustained enterprise outcomes, with gross sales passing the one-million mark in 2019 for the primary time in 10 years and market share exceeding 6 p.c in 2020.

Toyota was a frontrunner in CO2 emissions with a lineup of hybrid powertrains that was expanded beneath van Zyl. Throughout his tenure, the automaker expanded its manufacturing websites and added merchandise in Russia, Poland, Turkey and France. Toyota took sole possession of a three way partnership plant with PSA Group in Kolin, Czech Republic, in January.  

Van Zyl introduced in 2018 that Toyota would discontinue diesel powertrains from the automaker’s passenger automotive lineup, except the Land Cruiser massive SUV and the Hilux pickup.

In leaving Toyota Europe, van Zyl mentioned: “What I’m most glad about is the very robust staff we now have right here in Europe. With such nice folks throughout the Toyota European group, with such expertise and fervour, there will not be any disruption within the transformation we now have embarked upon, and I’ve little doubt Toyota will do very nicely beneath Matt’s [Harrison] management.”

Harrison mentioned lately that he noticed no purpose to sharply change course as CEO of Toyota Europe.

“I’ve labored extremely carefully with van Zyl for the previous few years,” Harrison instructed Automotive Information Europe in an interview. “So, I want to suppose I’ve already had lots of alternative to supply enter into our technique, and I did not really feel the necessity to scrap all the pieces something and rebuild. That factor of my technique was extra a couple of seamless transition and continuity.”

Van Zyl was born on Springs on the East Rand, South Africa on June 8, 1958. He earned a doctorate in enterprise economics on the College of Potchefstroom in 1986, then began a tutorial profession.

In July 1993 he joined Toyota South Africa as gross sales director. He was named president and CEO of the unit in 2003.

In 2009, van Zyl was additionally named a managing officer at dad or mum Toyota Motor Corp. In 2013 he was named CEO of the Africa Area, and in 2015 he moved to Brussels as Toyota Europe president and CEO.

In 2018, van Zyl acquired an Automotive Information Europe Eurostar award within the European Operations Head class.

“Toyota by no means lacked inexperienced know-how and it’s all however a shock to see that hybrids now cowl greater than half of the automaker’s gross sales in western Europe,” the quotation learn. “What Toyota by no means discovered previously was a mannequin whose design might actually drive Europeans loopy. Successful the approval for the polarizing C-HR compact crossover, Johan van Zyl was capable of get a product to ignite a brand new momentum for Toyota Europe that goes nicely past delivering constant earnings.”

Toyota introduced in March that van Zyl can be retiring as Europe area CEO.

In a latest interview with Enterprise Day‘s South African media outlet, van Zyl mentioned that returning to his native nation — the place he continued to function chairman of Toyota South Africa, a place he maintained even after shifting to Brussels — additionally meant that he might spend extra time along with his automotive assortment.

“I’ve received an Austin Healey, Jaguar E-Kind, MG-A, many Land Cruisers, an MG-B, Citroen; I believe I’ve received about 20 now,” he was quoted as saying. The story added that van Zyl additionally owned a Toyota 2000GT and a a uncommon Lexus LF-A supercar.