Toyota Adds First Female Board Director

Toyota Motor Corp. has nominated Teiko Kudo, an executive with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., to become the carmaker’s first female board director.

Kudo’s nomination was prompted in large part by Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s request that Japanese companies appoint at least one female board member. The appointment awaits shareholder approval in June.

In 2014 Kudo became the first woman to be named an executive officer at Sumitomo Mitsui. She also is involved with a Toyota fund set up three years ago to invest in technologies involving artificial intelligence, hydrogen fuel and robotics.

Women currently account for fewer than 4% of executives at Japanese companies, according to government figures. Abe has set a national goal to raise that proportion to 10% by 2020.​​​​