Kubota Names New CEO for Kubota North America and Makes Other Leadership Changes

Nobuyuki Ishii has been appointed CEO of Grapevine-based Kubota North America and senior managing executive officer of Kubota Corp. (KBT), and Todd Stucke has been named president of Kubota Tractor Corp. and executive officer of KBT, effective Jan. 1.

The appointments were announced following the company’s board of directors meeting in Japan. Both appointments succeed Shingo Hanada, who will be promoted to director and senior managing executive officer returning to Kubota Corp. in Japan, the company said.

“Over the past few years, under Mr. Hanada’s leadership, Kubota has successfully built our North America regional function,” Ishii said in a statement. “The market contributes significantly to Kubota’s overall business and remains an integral part of our vision to provide solutions to address global issues related to food, water and the environment. I’m proud to continue the tremendous momentum Mr. Hanada was able to achieve in his tenure.”

Stucke maintains his dual roles as executive officer for Kubota Corp. and senior vice president of technology for Kubota North America.

In succeeding Hanada, Ishii, a 40-year Kubota veteran, also will take on the role of KTC chairman, providing support to Stucke. Ishii has held various roles in his Kubota career, including president of Kubota Europe until 2016.

He also previously worked in the U.S. as VP of Kubota Engine of America from 2003 to 2008. In his current role of general manager of Farm and Industrial Machinery Strategy and Operations in Japan, Ishii supervises Kubota’s entire overseas operations.

The first American to serve as president of Kubota Tractor Corp.

Kubota North America is composed of Kubota Tractor Corp., Kubota Credit Corp., both based in Grapevine; Kubota Canada Ltd., with operations based in Pickering, Ontario, Canada; Kubota Manufacturing of America, based in Gainesville, Georgia; Great Plains Manufacturing, based in Salina, Kansas; and Kubota Engine of America, based in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

“Kubota is constantly evolving, and we remain committed to the growth mindset we have adopted, working together toward our 2030 Vision which is to become a major brand globally,” Stucke said in a statement. He is the first American to lead in this role in the company’s more than a half-century history.

“It’s important for us to stay focused on this transformation as we embark on this next phase in the evolution of our business, and I’m thrilled to be leading our talented team in doing just that, while working closely with our strong Kubota dealers with an ‘On Your Side’ approach,” Stucke said.

A 35-year industry veteran with experience in both equipment and agriculture, Stucke currently is vice chair of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and will become chairman of the board in 2024.

He has previously served two terms as treasurer of the AEM board, as well as Ag Sector Board Chair in 2020.

‘More automation and sustainable solutions’

Additionally, Brian Arnold, current president of Kubota Manufacturing of America (KMA) and VP of KNA, has been appointed as an executive officer of KBT and will take on the role of head of manufacturing for KNA. He succeeds Takanobu Azuma, EVP of KNA, who is being promoted to managing executive officer of KBT and will return to Japan.

Arnold was the first American to serve as KMA president since the company established manufacturing in Northeast Georgia in 1988. Arnold joined KMA in 1995 and will maintain his dual role as KMA president in addition to his newly appointed role for KNA.

“We are committed to growing and enhancing our manufacturing footprint to expand our product lines and infrastructure to better meet the needs of our customers and dealers,” Arnold said in a statement. “We are advancing our manufacturing with more automation and sustainable solutions than ever before – it’s what we do, and it will continue to drive how our teams make decisions about our products in order to provide more solutions to our North America dealers and customers.”

Kubota North America Corp. serves as the central business hub for all KNA companies in the U.S. and Canada, where leadership closely connects resources and shares talent across all lines of Kubota’s business.

Kubota Corp., based in Osaka, Japan, and together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells a range of machinery, including tractors, construction equipment, lawn and garden equipment, hay tools, and other performance-matched implements to the North American market.