JAL has been in the news a lot lately – it was involved in a tragic accident at Haneda Airport, it is about to put into service its new flagship A350-1000, and it just received its first dedicated freighter in over a decade.
Now, the airline group announced Mitsuko Tottori, a former flight attendant who has been with the company in various roles for almost 40 years, will become its next president.
Continue reading to learn more.
Upcoming JAL Group Leadership Changes
The upcoming appointment of Tottori will lead to the following leadership changes at JAL Group effective as of April 1, 2024:
- Mitsuko Tottori will change roles from the current Senior Managing Executive Officer to the President
- Yuji Akasaka, the current President, will become the Chairperson
- Yoshiharu Ueki, the current Chairperson will retire from the role but initially continue to serve on the company’s board
Akasaka assumed his current role as the group’s president in April 2018 and has led the company through the pandemic.
He first joined JAL in 1987 and served in a variety of roles at the airline since then. Most recently before he was appointed president, Akasaka was the Senior Vice President of Engineering and Maintenance (and JAL Engineering’s president) until 2014.
Tottori will be the first woman and the first person to have climbed through the ranks from a flight attendant all the way to the president at JAL.
JAL Group’s Upcoming President’s Career: From Toa to JAL
The 59-year old Tottori started her career in April 1985 as a flight attendant for Toa Domestic Airlines. The airline was later renamed to Japan Air System, and in 2006, merged into Japan Airlines.
At a press conference announcing her appointment, Tottori explained she started working as a flight attendant in the same year the JAL flight 123 accident happened. “As someone familiar with that period, I have a responsibility to pass on the importance of safe flight operations to the next generation,” she added.
She first stepped into the executive ranks in April 2020 when she was promoted from Vice President, Cabin Safety Department to Executive Officer, Senior Vice President, Cabin Attendants. Tottori was further promoted to Managing Executive Officer in the same role in April 2022.
Her role switched in April 2023 when she was put in charge of Brand Communication, which is part of Customer Experience at JAL. In June 2023, her role was expanded to cover Customer Experience in its entirety and she was the airline’s Chief Customer Officer.
Summary
On January 17, 2024, JAL Group announced it will be making changes in its top leadership, effective April 1, 2024. Mitsuko Tottori, who has been with the company for almost 40 years, will assume the role of president. The current president, Yuji Akasaka, will be the company’s new chairperson.
Tottori’s appointment is significant in a couple of different ways: she will be the first woman to lead the company and the first flight attendant to have climbed through the ranks all the way to the top.
It will be interesting to see what changes she will bring to the airline.
