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Toyota's Only Female Executive Says Being a Woman Never Mattered

Chika Kako was named Lexus executive vice president last month
Less than 2 percent of Toyota’s 9,977 managers are women

Chika Kako, right, at Toyota’s round table event on Feb. 15. — Chika Kako, right, at Toyota’s round table event on Feb. 15.Photographer: Shiho Fukada/Bloomberg

By

Kevin Buckland and

February 15, 2018, 3:01 PM UTC

Chika Kako is a rarity in Toyota Motor Corp.’s upper echelons.

Last month, the 50-year-old was promoted to the No. 2 job at the luxury Lexus division, becoming the only woman among the automaker’s top 53 managers. President Akio Toyoda has made diversifying his executive lineup a priority, but while six foreigners have risen to the company’s highest ranks, the elevation of women has been slower.