Toyota punches innovation pedal

From hybrids to robots, Toyota promises new ways of thinking to produce new and better products.

Toyota Motor Corp. Vice Chairman Kazuo Okamoto joined the then-Toyota Motor Industry Co., the manufacturing half of the empire, in 1967 after graduating from the Aeronautical Engineering Department of Tokyo University.

Rather than aero engineering, he chose automotive engineering. But his rise through the automaker's engineering hierarchy has been at jet speeds. It included Chief Engineer of the second-generation Lexus LS 400 (1994), the head of Toyota's various vehicle-development and system/component centers, the Director of Product Development, the Executive in Charge of Design (styling), and ultimately Executive Vice President responsible for engineering. Okamoto was appointed to the position of Vice Chairman of the company in June 2007.