Panasonic Corp. has appointed its head of automotive business Yuki Kusumi as the company's next chief executive officer, replacing Kazuhiro Tsuga, who was the architect of a partnership with Tesla Inc. The 55-year-old will take the reins on April 1, Panasonic, after a three-decade career at the company which has seen Kusumi lead the automotive component business and the TV operations, much like his predecessor. Tsuga, 63, will become chairman.