Who runs Toyota now?

As of March 2007:

• Hiroshi Okuda, Chairman. Born in 1933 - about the same time as Toyota itself - Hiroshi Okuda has been a member of the Board of Toyota Motor Corporation since 1982, and has been the Chairman of the Board since 1999. Mr. Okuda was the president of Toyota from 1995 to 1999, and is also a director of KDDI Corporation. Hiroshi Okuda joined Toyota in 1955, at about the time of the company's entrance to the United States market. He mainly worked in Toyota's international operations, and oversaw preparation of manufacturing plants in North America. He graduated from Hitostubashi University with a degree in business, and has a black belt in judo.
• Fujio Cho, President. Born in 1937 - not long after Toyota itself - Fujio Cho helped to speed Toyota's decision-making but cutting the number of board members in half, appointing three non-Japanese managing officers, and generally streamlining the management structure. He graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1960 and became a production specialist, mentored by none other than Taiichi Ohno. He opened the first Toyota-owned factory in America in 1988. He is a third dan in kendo.
• It is worth noting the martial arts experience of the two top Toyota leaders. Martial arts require discipline, patience, and study; American leaders tend to be lawyers and accountants with experience in obfuscation and penny-watching.
• Akio Toyoda. Son of Shoichiro Toyoda, Akio, born in 1957, helped to get Toyota out of a Chinese joint venture gone bad and into a deal with China FAW Group; started a Web-based retailing venture in Japan; and is currently executive vice president in charge of purchasing, quality, product management, IT, and transport. Akio has been known to reinforce Toyota’s global standing, taking the company beyond its Japanese roots, and has been emphasizing styling and performance in the company’s vehicles.

Some past leaders:

• Eiji Toyoda (president, 1967-1982), who kept Toyota on a low profile even as the company rapidly expanded and dramatically increased its quality and its rustproofing capabilities
• Shoichiro Toyoda (president, 1982-1992), who spread Toyota's manufacturing plants through the world and brought Toyota’s technology to the forefront, surpassing Honda and just about every other automaekr, while increasing reliability even further