NEW DELHI: Mitsuko Tottori was appointed as the first female president of Japan Airlines ( JAL ) in January, sending shockwaves through the country’s corporate sector. Her interview was important because she had just begun her job as a flight attendant.
The media reacted with a mix of surprise and skepticism, with headlines ranging from” first woman” and” first former flight attendant” to “unusual” and” no way”! Due to her previous employment at Japan Air System ( JAS ), a smaller airline that JAL bought two decades ago, she was even called” an alien molecule” or” a mutant” according to one website.
Tottori’s visit places JAL among the less than 1 % of Japan’s major companies led by women. I do n’t consider myself to be the first woman or the first former flight attendant. I want to act as an individual so I did n’t expect to get this much attention”, said Tottori. ” But I realise the public or our employees do n’t necessarily see me like that”, she further added, as per a BBC report.
Her interview came just two days after the flight attendants from JAL’s flight were praised for successfully removing passengers from a plane that had collided with a coast guard plane when they were landing at Tokyo’s Haneda aircraft. The extensive training offered to the airline’s cabin crew members instantly caught everyone’s attention. Tottori, a former flight attendant herself, first saw the value of aviation health, particularly after JAL’s role in the most fatal second aeroplane accident in aviation history on Mount Osutaka in 1985, four months after joining.
Every JAL employee has the chance to summit Mount Osutaka and communicate with those who are in the accident’s memory. At our health promotion center, we also display aircraft debris, so we can look inside our own eyes and feel the impact, Tottori said.
However, the Chinese government has been working to increase the number of adult leaders in the nation by 2030, with the aim of having a third of the country’s top management positions held by women. ” It is not just about the business leaders ‘ mindset, but it is also essential for people to have the confidence to become a administrator”, said Tottori. I hope my appointment will inspire other people to attempt things they’ve previously been hesitant to try.
