My heroes and examples (6)

Production systems and their founding fathers: Taiichi Ohno (1912 – 1990)

Taiichi Ohno was born in Manchuria, China in 1912. He was a Japanese Industrial engineer and businessman. Ohno graduated at the Nagoya Technical High School (Japan). He joined the Toyoda family: Toyoda Spinning upon graduation in 1932. This was during the Great Depression. Thanks to the relation of his father with Kiichiro Toyoda, son of Toyota’s founding father (Mr. Sakichi Toyoda). In twenty years he made a career at Toyoda Spinning.

Industrial Engineering

He moved to the Toyota motor company in 1943 where he worked as an assembly manager at the engine manufacturing shop of the plant. He gradually rose through the ranks to eventually become Executive Vice President.

At an early stage, he already used his entrepreneurial and organizational skills. He was looking for ways to solve the better

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