is honorary

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

. In the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese system, that puts him in charge of the country's and world's largest

automaker The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such a ...

. Chō is only the second "outsider" to head Toyota Motor Co. since the members of the founding Toyoda family stepped aside in 1995. He earned a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in law from the

University of Tokyo , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...

in March 1960. Chō joined the

in April 1960. Chō's previous titles include: managing director, senior managing director, vice president, president and vice chairman of the board. He previously worked as president in a subsidiary. Chō has been serving as

chairman of the board The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

and representative director of

from June 2006 to June 2013. Chō has been a strong advocate of environmentally friendly automotive technology, such as the hybrid-electric

Prius The is a car built by Toyota which has a hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door sedan, it has been produced only as a five-door liftback since 2003. In 2007, th ...

Honors

* Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon (November 2001)Toyota Chairmen: honours and decorations
/ref> * Officer of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

of France (May 2004) * Honorary Knight Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(KBE) (October 2006) * Grand Decoration of Honor in Silver with Star of Austria (January 2009) * Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

, 2009. * ''Time'' magazine,

100 most influential people ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, po ...

of 2004."Time Names The World's Most Influential People"
. ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

''. April 18, 2004. Retrieved December 12, 2010. "Few people have done more to perfect 'the Toyota Way' than chairman Hiroshi Okuda, 71, and president Fujio Cho, 67, writes Time's Jim Frederick. 'From the very beginning Toyota learned much from other carmakers. Sharing what we have discovered is a way to give back,' says Cho."

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cho, Fujio 1937 births Living people Toyota people Japanese businesspeople People from Aichi Prefecture Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire University of Tokyo alumni