In a brief statement Italian design and engineering house Pininfarina has announced that their Director of Design Ken Okuyama - who was responsible for designing cars including the Ferrari Enzo, 612 Scaglietti and Maserati Quattroporte - has been relieved of his duties with the group with immediate effect.

"Pininfarina announces that, effective today, Ken Okuyama, Pininfarina’s Director of Design since July 2005, will no longer hold that position," read a statement issued in Turin. "The Company’s decision comes as a result of the various external activities Ken Okuyama was carrying out beyond his responsibilities within Pininfarina. With effect today Andrea Pininfarina – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Pininfarina Group – will hold, pro tempore, the position of Director of Design. The three Chief Designers – Guglielmo Cartia, Fabrizio Valentini and Lowie Vermeersch – will report directly to him," the statement concluded. Ken Okuyama was in fact was promoted to the position of Director of Design just over a year ago, during his second stint with the firm.
 

He had previously worked as a designer for Pininfarina from 1995 - 2000. During that period, he created highly praised designs for production cars such as the Ferrari Enzo supercar, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti "Gran Tourer" and the Maserati Quattroporte luxury saloon as well as a swage of very well received and successful prototype cars that included the Peugeot Nautilus and the Ferrari Rossa. He also supervised production projects for Alfa Romeo, Honda, Mitsubishi and Peugeot.

He left Pininfarina for a four-year tenure as chair of the transportation design department at Art Center College of Design in the United States. Okuyama returned to the prestigious Italian firm in 2004 firstly as Creative Director and then since July 1, 2005 he held the position of Director of Design.