Jim Press, the top man of Toyota's North American operations, got the go-ahead from shareholders Friday to become the first non-Japanese member of the automaker's board of directors.

Press, 60, a 37-year veteran at Toyota Motor Corp., was appointed to the board in April, the latest step in Toyota's efforts to bolster its international standing.

Shareholders approved the move Friday in the city of Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, where the automaker is based, the company said.

The move comes as Toyota is boosting sales in North America, grabbing market share away from Detroit automakers.

That success has created fear of a political backlash in the U.S. as lawmakers from manufacturing states have charged the Japanese government has kept the yen artificially low, giving Japanese automakers an advantage.

For decades, Japan, which has a culture that prides itself on inward-looking harmony, has been wary of foreigners in high places in management.

In recent years, foreign chief executives have grown more common, including high-profile ones such as Welsh-American Howard Stringer at electronics and entertainment giant Sony Corp. and Brazilian-born Carlos Ghosn at Nissan Motor Co.

Press, who makes no secret of his admiration for Toyota's Japanese cultural virtues as a key force of the automaker's strength, has been the most visible figure in the U.S. for the manufacturer of the Camry sedan, Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models.

As head of Toyota Motor Sales USA, Press led the automaker's rapid sales climb from a 9.3 percent market share in the U.S. in 2000 to 13.1 percent in 2005.

Press, who enjoys scuba diving and flying airplanes, joined the Toyota board as part of an expansion of the board from 25 to 30 members. He joined Toyota in 1970, after leaving Ford Motor Co.