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August 06, 2002
The award was presented here at the Management Briefing Seminars today to Yoshino by Daisy T. Wu, president of the Shien-Ming Wu Foundation, and Joseph C. Day, chairman and CEO of Freudenberg-NOK, who serves as a previous recipient of the award on the foundation's award nomination committee.
 "Mr. Hiroyuki Yoshino exemplifies the manufacturing leadership we need in the increasingly global business world," said Daisy T. Wu. "His belief in innovative research and in applying the research results in practice to improve manufacturing process, as well as his commitment to environmental engineering resonates the fundamental philosophy of Sam Wu, who believed in continuous innovation and improvement in the manufacturing process to enhance the quality of human life."
"Mr. Yoshino represents the best of manufacturing leadership," Day said. "He embodies the true essence of a leader and the qualities that made Sam Wu so successful, especially his burning passion for manufacturing and keen intellect." In his remarks, Day also called upon automotive executives to support the foundation's important work through participation in a special fund-raising event that is planned for the first quarter of 2003.
The Manufacturing Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have successfully demonstrated leadership skills and have made a profound impact on the manufacturing industry. The award attempts to identify role models for future manufacturing leaders in terms of visionary and strategic thinking, courage and the ability to build a winning team or organization.
The foundation honors Yoshino as an accomplished executive with a unique blend of research and development, manufacturing and sales experience and a global perspective. Under Yoshino's leadership, Honda has focused on achieving the speed, flexibility and efficiency of a small company, together with the reach and advanced technology of a global corporation.
"Honda has never lost sight of the fact that manufacturing is at the heart of what we do, so this is a tremendous honor for me and for global Honda," said Yoshino. "I recall visiting the S.M. Wu Manufacturing Research Center in February 1998. I was impressed not only with the various laboratories, but with the inspired interest in manufacturing of the students and faculty. Surely, this must be the true legacy of Professor Wu."
As president of Honda, Yoshino has overseen the global implementation of Honda's flexible New Manufacturing System, which achieves a high level of production flexibility, efficiency, and quality through use of standardized equipment and processes. The new system reduces tooling costs associated with new model launches and increases launch speed, initial quality and the flexibility of models that can be produced, while also reducing energy use and waste.
Yoshino became the fifth president and CEO of Honda Motor Co. in June 1998. His 39-year career with Honda has included wide-ranging responsibilities in manufacturing, research & development and sales. Earlier positions included serving as president of Honda R&D Co., Ltd.; president of Honda of America Mfg. in Marysville, Ohio, and chief operating officer of Automobile Operations in Japan. Yoshino has served on Honda Motor Co.'s board of directors since May 1983. Educated as an aeronautical engineer at Tokyo University, Yoshino began his career with Honda in 1963.
Previous recipients of the Wu Foundation's Manufacturing Leadership Award are:
1999 - Robert A. Lutz, former Chrysler Corp. vice chairman and president and current vice chairman of product development, General Motors Corporation, Chairman, GM North America;
2000 - Joseph C. Day, chairman and CEO of Freudenberg-NOK and the only supplier CEO to have won the prestigious Wu Award; and
2001 - Gary L. Cowger, GM Group Vice President for manufacturing, and president, GM North America.
The Shien-Ming Wu Foundation was formed in 1993 in memory of the late Professor S.M. Wu, who devoted his life to the research and teaching of manufacturing science and engineering. During his career of more than 30 years, including five years at the University of Michigan, he made extraordinary contributions to the manufacturing industry and academics, mentoring over 124 doctoral and 85 masters students in manufacturing science and engineering. Today, approximately one-quarter of the active faculty in the area of manufacturing engineering in the U.S. trace their educational lineage to Professor Wu.
The Shien-Ming Wu Foundation, established by Professor Wu's widow Daisy, is dedicated to carrying on the legacy of Professor Shien-Ming Wu by promoting research and education in manufacturing engineering. The foundation sponsors manufacturing research conferences and a biennial distinguished lecture series, as well as a scholarship program for students of manufacturing.
Professor Wu's work also continues through the S.M. Wu Manufacturing Research Center and the National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center he helped found at the University of Michigan in 1990. Sharing the same staff and laboratories, these two centers work to generate manufacturing innovations in partnership with industry and government.
To contribute to the Wu Foundation or learn more about its activities, contact: Mrs. Daisy T. Wu at the Shien-Ming Wu Foundation, 415 Riverview Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 or contact Professor Jun Ni, director of the S.M. Wu Manufacturing Research Center. Information can also be found on the Internet at http://wumrc.engin.umich.edu. |
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