Breakout Session Overview

1. Becoming a Brand of Choice

(Executive-Only Morning Session)

Women are currently the most powerful consumer segment and will become even stronger in the future. To grow revenue and increase market share, Toyota and Lexus senior leadership will need to strategically leverage and invest in women in their organization to become their brand of choice. Discussion topics during this session include understanding and leveraging trends in purchasing power, what we think women want in a brand, how Toyota and Lexus perform as a brand for women in the marketplace, and gender parity and differential investment for gender-intelligent brand design.

Led by: Jack Hollis

2. The Future is Now: Toyota Women Driving Innovation

(Non-Executive Only Morning Session)

According to Forbes contributor Bridget Brennan, “Women are the engine to the entire global consumer economy, and their impact on the economy continues to grow year over year.” To maximize present and future business opportunities – while weathering challenges – we need to take a closer look at our organization, our pillar, our division, our team and ourselves. In this session we will identify how Toyota women can become more involved in key areas of the enterprise and drive decision-making during this time of rapid change in the industry and at our company.

Led by: Ida Chacon, Vice President of Custom Solutions, Collage Group

(You will attend two sessions)

3. Mentoring: Investing in You

In today’s workplace mentorship can take shape in a variety of ways. For some, relationships are formed organically and for others it’s a targeted approach – a drive to seek out knowledge from the company’s best talent. One thing is clear, having a mentor in your professional life positively impacts your career development. Join Toyota Executives for an interactive breakout session where they will share the value of having a mentor and reveal their mentoring successes and challenges. At the end of the session you will have the opportunity to learn more about Toyota’s Mentoring Resources & Programs.

Led by: Terri Von Lehmden (Moderator), April Mason, Faye Zaski, Jacqueline Thomas, John Kennelly, Kim Cockrell, Pete Carey, Sylvia Shuler

4. Own Your Career Growth Piece by Piece

According to statistics, only 6.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. Studies show that women often find themselves “stuck” in middle management because their careers “just happen” to them. Proactive career management is the key to breaking the glass ceiling. In this interactive session, we will present and discuss the tools needed to change the narrative of our careers and own our growth. Join us for a fun and engaging panel as our executives walk you through the basics of finding your fit in the organization, the value of brand and how to use it to your advantage, leveraging your contacts and connections and the power of networking. At the end of this session, all the pieces will come together.

Led by: Diana Davis, Deanna Kostelnik, Earnee Gilling, Joanna Dean, Natalie Renee Wilkinson

5. Risky Business: The Secret to Success

Most of us are afraid of taking risks due to the potential of failure, but what if you knew for certain that you would eventually succeed? Would you take more risk? The truth is failure makes us less afraid of risks, helps us perfect our tasks, reminds us of our goals and, in the end, makes us stronger. In this session you will hear from Toyota Executives that have had their fair share of failures and successes. You will also have the chance to participate in an engaging panel discussion and share some of your own experiences. In the end you will leave empowered to better evaluate risks and tackle challenges.

Led by: Ellen Farrell (Moderator), David Christ, Kristen Tabar, Scott Cooke, Tracey Doi

6. TWOW: Toyota Way of Working

The Toyota Way of Working is the foundation of our corporate culture, a compass that leads us to operational excellence. TWOW empowers our members to rise to new challenges, take ownership for their own work, and contribute to the overall success of the company. In this interactive session participants will expand their knowledge of the Toyota Way of Working and discover ways to reduce waste and enhance their daily job management.

Led by: Carla Wright, Jenny Bartley, Holly Dieterle, Lisa Richardson

7. Networking: It Takes a Village

Merriam Webster describes Networking as “the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.” By establishing and nurturing a mutually beneficial relationship with others, you’re given a unique competitive edge while simultaneously growing both personally and professionally. At Toyota, your network can help catapult your career by opening doors, making connections, changing perspectives, and helping to start your impossible! Join this networking session to hear from the executive panel on how their network has aided in their own journey and growth.

Led by: Chris Garramone, Hilary Cain, Katie Dow, Emily Lauder, Renee Robertson

8. Commanding a Room and Wow’ing a Crowd

Are you interested in learning skills to exude confidence, enhance professionalism and develop strong presence in any situation? Join our Toyota Executive panel to learn how to navigate different business situations, improve your professional image, build trust and rapport with your colleagues and gain the confidence you need to rise to any challenge.

Led by: Erin Buchanan, Jaycie Dane, Jennifer Jao, Holly Walters, Rhonda Gilyard