”Dream big, try different things”

I started my career in Japan as an engineer in mould designing.  When I went, I didn't think I would have the language skills to really succeed in Japan but it would be a great cultural experience. Using drawings as the common language, I could gain good experience making the moulds hands-on. That gave me the grounding for my career later on when I moved to Toyota and started doing more manufacturing activities in the plants.

I found that I loved living in a foreign country. That allowed me to learn the language as I worked, and to get the job I have now with Toyota. Key to having a great career within the company is not just the engineering skills, but it's also the communication skills.

I really enjoy now being part of an organisation that has a global presence and is making a difference in the communities. If I was to restrict myself when I was a young girl into one career or one particular goal, I think I would have been disappointed. I'm glad I left a lot of paths open to see where they took me. This way, I could find exactly what I wanted to do at the time when I wanted to do it. 

At the beginning, the best advice that I received was to focus on a skill and focus on doing it well. For me that was manufacturing - there is a Japanese word monozukuri, which means the art of making things. I fell in love with it, and that allowed me to have a passion for building things and finding out how things work. This built my repertoire of skills and knowledge, which allowed me to move up into some management positions later on.