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GOLDSEA | TOP ASIAN AMERICAN PROFESSIONALS

TONY FUJITA

Profession: Corporate Executive
Birthplace: Tule Lake, California
Position: VP Sales Support, Toyota Motors

hen a customer thinks about buying a car, my job is to make sure that the customer thinks about Toyota," says Tony Fujita, vice president sales support. As consumers are moving away from the hassle of retail salesmen and herding towards the Internet and brokerages, Fujita and Toyota have had to adjust. "We're changing the approach of going to the marketplace," says Fujita. The plan is to have a receptionist feel out the customer right from the beginning. She determines if the customer wants to browse or needs assistance. "That's a dramatic change in how we retail our product."
     There's no doubt Fujita loves his product. He's been with Toyota for 25 years and has every intention of staying. He shamelessly promotes the company and readily admits his intentions. "Because of the product we represent, I hold my head high."
     Fujita was born in an internment camp in Tule Lake, California on February 10, 1945. The experience left a bitter taste with his parents who moved the family back to Fukuoka, Japan. Fujita stayed until age 15. As luck would have it, the Fujita family moved back to the U.S. just in time for young Tony to serve a 10-month tour in Vietnam. In 1970, Toyota contacted Fujita's parents in search of someone fluent in Japanese and English to coordinate the Japan/America staff. Fujita has remained ever since.