Katsuaki Watanabe president, rated 9 for industry reputation

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An amateur musician, he sings in a men's choir

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Katsuaki Watanabe is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation. He’s been with the company since graduating from Tokyo’s Keio University with an economics degree in 1964, and he’s gained most of his experience at the company through the corporate planning and administrative affairs divisions. Watanabe made his reputation at Toyota with a cost-reduction program while working as general manager of the Corporate Planning divisions. It was an ability to find $10 billion in savings over a 5 year period that brought him the top spot in 2005, and since taking over he’s continued to focus on cost savings while placing great emphasis on quality improvements at the large automaker. Toyota has long been one of the world’s most admired companies, and when Watanabe took over, he gained control over an organization that ran smoothly with little need for anything more than the lightest guidance. This has proven to be a boon as well as a hindrance for Watanabe, who has been hard pressed to make his own mark on the corporation. But slowly but surely he’s beginning to make the company his own. His emphasis on quality improvements have led to near trouble-free debuts of new models, and he’s emphasized his goals for Toyota towards fuel efficient cars, eventually hoping to create a car that can drive across the U.S. on a single tank of gas. Hopefully not an external take the size of a trailer. Watanabe is on the right track towards his goal of a fuel efficient best seller. Every year his company has produced fuel efficient automobiles that continue to wow buyers. Though recent market difficulties have resulted in the first loses from Toyota in 71 years, and the need for the company to cut its production goals till things turnaround. Watanabe was listed as one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of 2005 and again in 2007, but with changing conditions he’ll have to go back to what he was known for best before taking the top spot, cutting costs, only this time the ultimate responsibility for the results rest on him alone.

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