LOS ANGELES — Mazda North American Operations has appointed Yasutake Tsuchida as senior director of design, also overseeing next-generation vehicle planning and brand strategy development.
Tsuchida, whose appointment is effective immediately, replaces Julien Montousse, Mazda said.
Montousse became vice president of design and innovation at the Archer Aviation startup in November 2020 after 12 years in design roles at Mazda North American Operations, according to his LinkedIn page.
Tsuchida has 22 years of experience at Mazda’s headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan, and was chief designer of the current generation of the Mazda3 compact car, the company said. Previously, Tsuchida was the chief designer of the Kai concept shown in 2017 and lead designer for the now-discontinued CX-7 crossover in the early 2000s.
“Tsuchida’s approach to design focuses on timeless beauty,” Mazda said.
“In his designs, he aspires to evoke strong human emotion to give them energy and enthusiasm. His favorite Mazda is the RX-7 and he is an avid surfer.”
