Toyota's Top Female Executive Arrested in Japan

[hoops5]

This story caught my interest. Drugs are bad. If you smuggle drugs, expect to get caught. I imagine her career is now over, but I'm sure she has the means to pay her way out of this.

 

 

Julie Hamp, Toyota's most senior female executive, has resigned following her arrest in Japan on suspicion of drug law violations, the automaker said Wednesday.

Hamp tendered her resignation through her attorneys on Tuesday, and Toyota Motor Corp. accepted it because of "the concerns and inconvenience that recent events have caused our stakeholders," the company said.

Hamp, a 55-year-old American who was Toyota's newly appointed head of public relations, was arrested on June 18 on suspicion of importing oxycodone, a narcotic pain killer, into Japan. The drug is tightly controlled in the country.

Toyota declined to disclose other details, noting the investigation was ongoing.

Hamp, who previously worked for Toyota's U.S. operations, remains in custody and has not been available for comment. Police have said she denied she tried to bring in an illegal drug.

She has not been formally charged. Japanese authorities can detain suspects without charge for up to 23 days. It is unclear when she might be released.

 

Police raided Toyota's headquarters in Toyota City in central Japan and its offices in Tokyo and Nagoya five days after her arrest.

Her appointment in April had been highlighted by Toyota as a step toward promoting diversity.

Toyota reiterated Wednesday that it remains committed to diversity. But it acknowledged in a statement that it still needs to become "a truly global company," noting that Hamp's appointment had been a "big step" for the company.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda has said the company should have helped Hamp more in settling into her job in Japan. He also has said he believes Hamp did not intend to break the law.

Her arrest came as she was moving her things from the U.S., and police came to her Tokyo hotel after finding the drug in a package that was mailed to her. Japanese media said the drugs were hidden in a package containing jewelry.

Although Japanese Toyota officials have been posted abroad, Hamp was the first senior foreign Toyota executive to be fully stationed in Japan.

Foreigners have sometimes been detained in Japan for mailing or bringing in medicines they used at home. Such drugs may be banned in Japan or require special approval.

Before joining Toyota in 2012, Hamp worked for PepsiCo Inc. and General Motors Co.

She oversaw marketing and communications for the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands in the U.S. before her latest promotion.

 

 

 

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[TheDeuce]

Greed is a nasty thing.

[theguru]

Transporting/receiving serious drugs internationally without making sure she followed every law, rule, etc!?

 

Either a junkie, idiot, or both.

[hoops5]

Transporting/receiving serious drugs internationally without making sure she followed every law, rule, etc!?

 

Either a junkie, idiot, or both.

 

She says she did not intend to break the law, yet they were hidden in a jewelry case and mailed to her?

[theguru]

She says she did not intend to break the law, yet they were hidden in a jewelry case and mailed to her?

 

Certainly doesn't pass the smell test.

[hoops5]

One giant step toward diversity and then this......

 

Her appointment in April had been highlighted by Toyota as a step toward promoting diversity.

Toyota reiterated Wednesday that it remains committed to diversity. But it acknowledged in a statement that it still needs to become "a truly global company," noting that Hamp's appointment had been a "big step" for the company.

[theguru]

One giant step toward diversity and then this......

 

Her appointment in April had been highlighted by Toyota as a step toward promoting diversity.

Toyota reiterated Wednesday that it remains committed to diversity. But it acknowledged in a statement that it still needs to become "a truly global company," noting that Hamp's appointment had been a "big step" for the company.

 

Makes me wonder if Toyota is more interested in political correctness and diversity than they are hiring the best candidates possible.

[OlDog75]

Makes me wonder if Toyota is more interested in political correctness and diversity than they are hiring the best candidates possible.

 

Heck, isn't this the way companies are going anyway? And can they be blamed given the crazy litigious society today?

[theguru]

Heck, isn't this the way companies are going anyway? And can they be blamed given the crazy litigious society today?

 

Double edged sword for car companies that place financial decisions ahead of lives.

[OlDog75]

Double edged sword for car companies that place financial decisions ahead of lives.

 

Oh, I agree. But hiring the best candidate for a high level high profile job any more is politics. It's all about the image now.

[Jim Schue]

This would've been a much better story if she'd been caught with a gigolo.

[PurplePride92]

Having been to Japan for a Fortune 500 company I can say that I can see this being a simple mistake but hiding it in the jewelry box doesn't pass the smell test to me either. At the same time as many times as I have been over there(and heading back July 10) not one time has anyone told me that I can't bring prescribed medicine like Oxycodone with me to Japan. I take cold medicine and sleep aids which are all over the counter and put them in my carry on. I've had food sent to me and even had a care package held up for over a week because I had beef jerky in it. Needless to say, Japan is very strict and thorough when it comes to things coming into their country. You will not sneak anything into their country. I wonder if her oxycodone was prescribed to her and if so, why try to hide it? Definitely doesn't pass the smell test.

[hoops5]

Having been to Japan for a Fortune 500 company I can say that I can see this being a simple mistake but hiding it in the jewelry box doesn't pass the smell test to me either. At the same time as many times as I have been over there(and heading back July 10) not one time has anyone told me that I can't bring prescribed medicine like Oxycodone with me to Japan. I take cold medicine and sleep aids which are all over the counter and put them in my carry on. I've had food sent to me and even had a care package held up for over a week because I had beef jerky in it. Needless to say, Japan is very strict and thorough when it comes to things coming into their country. You will not sneak anything into their country. I wonder if her oxycodone was prescribed to her and if so, why try to hide it? Definitely doesn't pass the smell test.

Toyota is saying that they should have done more to help her with move/transition to Japan. So sure, if she needed guidance to transport prescribed medications to a country with very strict laws, I can see how Toyota could have provided more guidance. But the hiding it in the jewelry case tells me that she somehow knew that the laws were strict and she was trying to get around fhe laws and got caught.