The move is the latest step in Toyota Motor Corp.’s efforts to bolster its international standing. It also comes at a time when Toyota is boosting sales in North America, grabbing market share away from Detroit automakers.

Press, 60, president of Toyota Motor North America Inc. since May 2006, has been responsible for overseeing Toyota’s tremendous growth in the U.S. He was president of Toyota Motor Sales since 2005.

Hot on the heels of General Motors Corp., the world’s biggest automaker, Toyota has seen its U.S. market share surge recently, hitting 16 percent in March, behind GM, with 22 percent, and Ford, with 17 percent.

Press, also promoted to senior managing director from managing officer, joined Toyota Motor Sales in the U.S. in 1970, after two years at Ford Motor Co. He has been the most visible Toyota executive in North America.

Last month, Press acknowledged there could be consequences to Toyota’s successes over its U.S.-based competitors, who are shutting plants and cutting jobs, but stressed that the automaker would go ahead with its business plans.

“The way the issue is played out doesn’t affect the business,” Press told reporters in Detroit. “The business is you take care of customers. You make investments. Our philanthropy is up. We’re doing more for the community.”

Hiroshi Okuda, former president of Toyota and now adviser, also has expressed concern about a possible backlash.

Last month, he suggested adding a foreign board member and increasing foreign ownership as ways the company could show it was international and avoid the kind of backlash seen during the 1980s when American sentiment turned against Toyota and other Japanese automakers.

Up to now, Toyota’s 25-member board has been all Japanese. The number of board members was increased to 30 as part of Thursday’s changes.

The changes, announced along with eight Japanese newly appointed to the board of directors, will take effect pending shareholders approval in June, the company said in a statement.

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