Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda adds another shining feather to his hat as he wins the “World Car Person of the Year” award.
The prestigious annual accolade comes following Akio Toyoda’s outstanding leadership and managerial skills which allowed Toyota Motor Corporations to remain at the top of the auto business even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Japanese automakers enjoyed high profit margins throughout the previous year, primarily thanks to Toyoda’s vision and efforts. When the whole industrial world was hit with recession, Toyota successfully managed to preserve jobs worldwide, courtesy of the CEO’s stellar performance and ability to keep the team motivated and focused. After all, exceptional managerial skills even enabled Toyota to reclaim the world’s top-selling automaker’s title from Volkswagen.
The World Car Person of the Year Award came as no surprise since Akio Toyoda achieved significant accomplishments during a year that was anything but simple. In an industry faced with a steep decline due to the global pandemic, Toyota even let off some steam by introducing two fun models into the market— the Yaris and GR Yaris. Very similar, yet so very different, these cars performed exceptionally well in their own segments and were largely responsible for both the company’s profits and public image.
Toyoda was vital in maintaining an unhindered development pace in the CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric) era, pushing for the development of Toyota’s EVs and kickstarting the construction of Woven City. If you aren’t aware yet, Woven City is a real-life prototype of a futuristic Japanese city powered by a fully connected hydrogen cell ecosystem. Look it up; it’s pretty impressive.
A panel of 93 distinguished journalists from all over the world unanimously presented Toyoda with the prestigious award. The panel mentioned that Toyota was able to maintain profits and protect jobs during very difficult times owing to Toyoda’s guidance. In addition to the title, Akio Toyoda also won the hearts of millions of people worldwide through his charismatic nature and his keen love for motorsports. As an avid driver himself, Toyoda understands the passion and feels connected to other auto enthusiasts worldwide.
Upon receiving the award, Toyoda immediately declared that it was a team effort and pledged his heartfelt gratitude towards the vast 360,000-membered Toyota family. The “World Car Person of the Year Award” is just one of 6 prestigious awards presented by the World Car Awards annually. Finalists for this year’s “World Car Person of the Year” included TATA’s Pratap Bose, Hyundai’s Euisun Chung, Hyundai’s Luc Donckerwolke, and Mazda Motor’s Tomiko Takeuchi in addition to Toyoda himself.
