JTEKT Toyoda Announces New President

JTEKT Toyoda Americas Corporation welcomes Michael Defer as new president and COO after former president Howard Michael retired. The company, founded in 1941, provides machines ranging from turning centers to vertical and horizontal machining centers to grinders and more.

Defer notes Toyoda’s reputation for reliability and production-oriented engineering. On the position JTEKT Toyoda holds in the broader corporation, Defer says, “JTEKT gives us an expansive offering to customers, where we can go into many different industries. We will build on the good reputation of the Toyoda brand.” 

Defer’s diverse background offers a vision outside of the traditional industries and applications, as his previous leadership positions were in industries ranging from aerospace to automotive. Prior to JTEKT Toyoda, Defer served as an executive at Alfing, Chiron and Heller.