Pete Gritton was Toyota's ninth manufacturing hire in the US. During his 22-year tenure, Pete served in numerous positions, eventually retiring as the VP of Human Resources for Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing of North America.
In 1986, at the start up of Toyota’s first wholly owned manufacturing facility in the United States (TMMK), Pete's first position was Employee Relations Manager. He served TMMK in numerous positions and functions including Production Control and HR.
Pete was promoted to VP in 1998, and in 2005, moved to Toyota’s North American headquarters as VP of HR for over 22,000 team members at Toyota's North American assembly and parts manufacturing and engineering sites. Toyota's HR function was at the strategic table to ensure full team member engagement in TPS and Toyota Way as the Company expanded throughout North America. This included executive & management development, culture sustainability, change management, compensation, succession planning, and open two-way communications.
Upon his retirement in 2009, Pete joined the UK True Lean Program as an Instructor and Coach. In this role, he shares not only his vast Toyota knowledge and experience, but also his experience assisting other organizations with True Lean transformations. He holds a BA in Government, and MA in Organizational Communications from Western Kentucky University.