Before Fumiko Hayashi applied for a sales job at a car dealership 27 years ago, she hadn't planned on entering the automobile industry. Today, she is president of BMW Tokyo Corp.
Since assuming her post in August 2003, Hayashi has been bringing "female sensibility" to the German auto giant's Tokyo unit, decorating car showrooms with drawings and flowers and using them to host music recitals and plays.
"How to make car showrooms appealing to customers . . . to make customers emotionally touched is very important," Hayashi said in a recent interview with The Japan Times.