Sky's The Limit! Mitsuko Tottori's Journey From Flight Attendant To Japan Airline's First Female President & CEO
The story of Mitsuko Tottori is a perfect example of this. She was appointed as the CEO of Japan Airlines in January this year and it is being hailed as a milestone for women empowerment.?
This achievement is more special because of the mere fact that Tottori started her career as a flight attendant in 1985.
Tottori's Unprecedented Journey: From Flight Attendant to Japan Airlines' First Female President and CEO
Tottori's remarkable ascent from a flight attendant to the president and CEO has been described as an extraordinary achievement. Starting her career as a flight attendant in 1985, Tottori steadily progressed through the ranks over three decades. In 2015, she was appointed senior director of cabin attendants, and by 2024, she made history as the first woman to assume the role of president and CEO at Japan Airlines, showcasing an exceptional career trajectory.
With this appointment, Japan Airlines has joined the ranks of less than 1% of Japan's top companies with a woman at the helm.
In an interview with CNN, Mitsuko Tottori acknowledged that there is still a long way to go for women in the workplace. She stated, "Japan is still in the process of setting initial goals to increase the number of female managers. I hope that Japan will soon reach a point where it's no longer surprising for a woman to become a president."
“We do want to seriously increase the number of (women) managers, and more than that, I think it’s important that women themselves want to be active, so I really hope to see more and more of (them) in the future,” she added.
Japan Airlines' New President Tottori Wants To Work On Gender Gap, Vows Diversity and Inclusion Drive
She acknowledged Japan's ongoing gender gap and sees her appointment as a way to make a difference. Japan ranks poorly in gender equality, so Tottori becoming president is a big step toward making companies more diverse and inclusive.
In her new role, Tottori is committed to promoting diversity and helping women succeed at work. She wants to inspire other women to become leaders and change how companies operate in Japan.
