Toyota’s Woven Capital Appoints New CIO and COO in Push For Finding The ‘Future Of Mobility’
Toyota's Woven Capital appoints Michiko Kato as CIO and Mia Panzer as COO, marking a historic shift in mobility venture capital leadership.
Matilda
Toyota’s Woven Capital Appoints New CIO and COO in Push For Finding The ‘Future Of Mobility’
Toyota's Woven Capital Just Made History — Two Women Now Lead Its Top Roles Toyota's growth-stage venture capital arm, Woven Capital, has appointed two women to its most senior leadership positions. Michiko Kato steps in as Chief Investment Officer, while Mia Panzer takes on the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. This move is turning heads across the venture capital world — and for good reason. The appointments took effect Wednesday, April 1, 2026, and signal a rare but meaningful shift at a corporate venture capital firm managing over $1.6 billion across two funds, with a singular focus on backing the companies building the future of mobility. Who Is Michiko Kato — and Why Her Story Matters Michiko Kato did not take a straight road to the top. Born and raised in Tokyo, she stepped away from the stability of Japan's finance world to attend Harvard Business School in Massachusetts — a bold, life-altering decision. Later, she left the predictable world of corporate f…