As a young man, who grew up in Montgomery, West Virginia, Kevin Austin knew that it would take confidence, hard work and a relentless pursuit of excellence to succeed in life.

“What brings me happiness, joy and understanding is that the most important chase is one of excellence because only I can know if I’m living up to the values and the goals of who I want to be as a person,” he said. “I do my best to try to assess myself against that each and every day. It drives how I try to be a husband, a father and try to lead here at Toyota.”

Austin is the group vice president of Supply Chain Management (SCM) at Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). He said it’s important to have positive energy and a strong commitment to quality in leading a team.

Leading with Confidence
Austin is responsible for facilitating North America’s sales and production plans, managing vehicle logistics and coordinating vehicle model change activity. In this role, Austin oversees North America’s vehicle supply chain operations, including Demand and Supply Management (DSM), Project Planning and Management (PPM) and Toyota Logistics Services (TLS).

“Their work spreads across thousands of employees based here in Plano,” he says. “We have almost 50 facilities across the country that really work to try to support driving the right product, whether that’s a vehicle part or accessory, to the right place at the right time.”

Austin attributes the system’s seamless process and flow to his team.

“Through all that, great people, great processes and teamwork,” he says. “We try to fulfill the needs of our guests and support our company and drive profit for the organization.”

Driving his Career Forward
Austin has held several positions across Toyota since he joined the company in 1999. He started out as an analyst within the Production Control division at Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA).

As a member of Toyota’s production planning team, he was responsible for ensuring appropriate production capacity and output to meet customer needs. Following his role in Production Control, Austin held a position in the Human Resources department at TMNA, where he supported company-wide initiatives aimed at engaging and developing team members.

In 2012, Austin took an international assignment in Japan working for two years in the Toyota Motor America – Japan (TMA-J) division for Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). Upon completion of the TMC assignment, Austin rotated to Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) in California, where he worked in the Distributions Operations department until his transition to the TMNA headquarters in Plano, Texas, in 2015.

The Man Beyond the Wheel
When Austin is not working, he loves reading books and watching football (he’s a passionate Cincinnati Bengals fan).

“I guess you can say I love punishment,” the father of two jokes about his Bengals fandom. “It’s a roller-coaster ride all the time, but one that I enjoy riding.”

When it comes to what truly motivates him as a person, it’s simple: being a leader by example.

“My personal mission is to drive productive change,” Austin says. “And through that, ensuring that I’m achieving and reaching my own self-potential and helping others do the same.”