A roundup of the General Shareholders' Meeting, the last to be chaired by Akio Toyoda, including a look back at his time in the role.
On June 14, 2023, Toyota held its 119th General Shareholders' Meeting, the last to be led by Chairman Akio Toyoda.
The shareholders asked various questions about the road ahead for Toyota, from its BEV outlook to the carmaker’s vision for the future. Having devoted 14 years to restoring the essence of Toyota, what were the thoughts and comments by Akio, known as the “rearguard president”?
Alongside a special feature on the 2023 General Shareholders’ Meeting, this edition of Toyota Times News also looks back at the words Akio Toyoda shared as chairman of past meetings.
Thoughts on Toyota’s “Inheritance and Evolution”
Can Toyota beat Tesla? In response to a shareholder question about Toyota’s BEV strategy, the company’s leaders presented their vision, along with specific targets. What will carmaking look like in the hands of BEV-loving engineers?
"Toyota's president is lonely." After experiencing 14 lonely years at the top as “the president no one wanted,” Akio had some words to offer President Koji Sato. He spoke of how the carmaker’s future will be shaped by managing Toyota as a team alongside many colleagues.
With the Great East Japan Earthquake, the rise of American tech giants, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Akio rarely had a peaceful moment over the course of his presidency. Footage from past meetings shows how he continued to engage with shareholders in the midst of these challenges.
World Toyota News features the new Lexus model recently unveiled in Milan, Italy. Akio’s assignment for the development team: to create “a car that I can use on the weekend, in my jeans and T-shirt.”
Top image: Noriaki Mitsuhashi (N-RAK PHOTO AGENCY)
00:24 Akio heads into his last shareholders' meeting as chair
01:18 First shareholder proposal in 18 years, Toyota’s multi-pathway approach
03:33 Can Toyota beat Tesla?
07:07 Is Akio losing his love for Japan?
08:58 What future will carmakers create?
12:13 Akio speaks about his 14 years at the helm
16:20 Post-meeting comments from shareholders
17:46 Akio’s words at past shareholder meetings
25:54 [World Toyota News] World premiere of the new Lexus model