Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has announced the retirement of F. Norman (Norm) Bafunno, III, a senior manufacturing executive, effective September 5. Bafunno’s career with Toyota spans nearly 29 years, during which he held various leadership roles in manufacturing and contributed to strategic direction in safety, environment, logistics, and engineering.
“Norm’s unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and continuous improvement has been foundational to our success in North America,” said Takefumi Shiga, executive vice president of Production Engineering and Manufacturing at TMNA. “We are grateful for Norm’s leadership, vision, and dedication throughout his remarkable career. While we will miss his presence and expertise, we wish him all the best in this exciting new chapter.”
Bafunno joined Toyota Indiana in 1997 as general manager of Production and eventually became senior vice president overseeing production planning and quality. He also served as vice president of Production Engineering at Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing. In 2010, he was named President of Toyota Indiana.
In his recent role as TMNA’s One Toyota North American Competitiveness Officer, Bafunno led efforts to improve North America’s global competitiveness by coordinating regional executives across R&D, Sales & Marketing, Planning & Finance, and Manufacturing.
Bafunno played a significant role in selecting the site for Toyota’s first battery manufacturing plant in the U.S., located in North Carolina. He guided its operations from inception through strategy development.
Throughout his tenure at Toyota, Bafunno served as an executive advisor to Business Partnering Groups and participated in community organizations such as the American Red Cross.
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