Chrysler lures away key Toyota executive

(Adds details and background)

DETROIT, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Chrysler LLC has named longtime Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) North American executive Jim Press as a new vice chairman and president.

Press, who was president and chief operating officer of Toyota North America and a director of the Japanese automaker, will be responsible for Chrysler's North American sales, international sales, global marketing, product strategy, and service and parts, Chrysler said.

Press joins Tom LaSorda as a vice chairman and president, reporting to Chief Executive Bob Nardelli.

Press is the second outside executive to join Chrysler's senior leadership team after former Home Depot Inc (HD.N) CEO Nardelli was named to lead the automaker in August.

Also in August, Chrysler hired Deborah Wahl Meyer, former vice president of marketing for Toyota's luxury Lexus division, as its chief marketing officer.

Press joins Chrysler after 37 years with Toyota and two months after DaimlerChrysler AG (DAIGn.DE) sold a majority stake in the carmaker to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management in a $7.4-billion deal.

"Part of my new responsibilities will be strengthening and energizing the dealer body," Press said in a statement. "This is something I was passionate about at Toyota and will be passionate about at Chrysler."

Meanwhile, Toyota named Shigeru Hayakawa to replace Press as president of its North American operations.

(Reporting by Poornima Gupta)

((Editing by Gerald E. McCormick; Reuters Messaging: poornima.gupta.reuters.com@reuters.net; email: poornima.gupta@reuters.com; tel:313-967-1901))

((Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra: visit topnews.session.rservices.com

* BridgeStation: view story .134 For more information on Top News: topnews.reuters.com)) Keywords: CHRYSLER PRESIDENT

(C) Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution ofReuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expresslyprohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuterssphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group ofcompanies around the world.nN06323203