Influential leaders of Toyota

Toyota is known for keeping the family tradition when changing an important post in the company. Since 1937, when the company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda, we see that the main positions in the company has been passed down from generation to generation.

I would like to mention the name of Shoichiro Toyoda, who was President (1982-1992) and also Chairman of TMC (1992-1999). Many people consider him a genuinely global manager, mainly because he approved and furthered the expansion of Toyota's production system into the United States, and he approved the development of the Lexus and the Prius hybrid (1). After these merits, when he opened the door for Toyota all over the world, he was considered Japan's leading voice on international cooperation and globalization in the early 2000s (1). 

Now we can notice an interesting case dealing with the 2009–2011 Toyota vehicle recalls.

Safety defects occured in the company's car and have been linked to the deaths of 39 Americans. Also, several vehicles experienced unintended acceleration. Currently, the President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, Akio Toyoda, expressed his apology for the deaths of people and proclaimed that he, more than anyone, wish for their customers' cars to be safe. On the other hand he also mentioned: "I myself, as well as Toyota, am not perfect" (2). We'll see how the negotiations turn out in the U.S. Congress.

Sources:
(1) http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/S-Z/Toyoda-Shoichiro-1925.html

(2) http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/toyota-ceo-akio-toyodas-testimony-congress/story?id=9924855#.Tr1TD3KoFqI 
Image: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/02/0222_toyota/source/2.htm

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