Julie Hamp was named head of global communications at Toyota in April.
Two weeks after being arrested for allegedly importing prescription drugs into Japan, Toyota Motor Co.’s global public relations director – and its top female executive – has resigned.
Julie Hamp remains in jail, according to reports from Japan where the law allows police to detain a suspect for up to 23 days without bringing charges.
In a statement, the world’s largest automaker said that it has “accepted her resignation after considering the concerns and inconvenience that recent events have caused our stakeholders.”
There had been some question about whether Hamp would have been able to survive the crisis — even if she were eventually cleared – in a country where “face” is highly valued. Complicating matters, according to some observers, was the fact that Hamp was a female in a traditionally male society that had only cautiously welcomed her into the top Toyota spot.
She did appear to have the support of Toyota’s top executive, however, President Akio Toyoda last month holding a news conference in which he shifted blame to himself. Toyoda described Hamp as a “close friend,” and an “invaluable” asset, and said he did not believe she intentionally violated Japanese law.
“To me, executives and staff who are my direct reports are like my children,” he said. “It’s the responsibility of a parent to protect his children and, if a child causes problems, it’s also a parent’s responsibility to apologize.”
(For more on Toyoda’s press conference, Click Here.)
Specific details remain unclear, the carmaker today stating that, “Because the investigation of Ms. Hamp is ongoing, there is little Toyota can say at this time.”
Hamp was arrested on June 18th for importing the narcotic pain killer oxycodin into Japan. The island nation has extremely strict anti-drug laws and restricts many pills routinely prescribed in other countries. Reports following her arrest indicate Hamp had placed the drugs inside a box of jewelry she shipped to herself from the United States.
On June 23rd, authorities ramped up their investigation by raiding Toyota offices at the company’s Toyota City headquarters, as well as offices in Tokyo and Nagoya.
(For more on the police raid, Click Here.)
Hamp has not yet been formally charged and it is unclear at what level Toyota might be trying to assist in the case. But some reports suggest that if formally prosecuted she could face up to 10 years in prison.
For its part, Toyota now seems to be trying to put at least some distance between itself and Hamp, stating “we intend to learn from this incident to help ensure a secure working environment for everyone at Toyota around the world as we continue to take the steps necessary to become a truly global company.”
Noting that it “remain(s) firmly committed to putting the right people in the right places,” Toyota said Senior Managing Officer Shigeru Hayakawa will take over Hamp’s duties temporarily.
The brouhaha could turn into backlash against Toyota Pres. Toyoda’s attempt to diversify the carmaker’s traditionally Japanese corporate culture. While Hamp was the only senior woman among top management, Toyota has been expanding the role of foreigners. American Mark Hogan several years ago became the first board member. And Jim Lentz, long the head of U.S. sales operations is now a regional director with broad authority over matters ranging from vehicle development to manufacturing.
Hamp joined Toyota Motor North America, Inc. in 2012 as group vice president and chief communications officer. She was promoted to her current position as chief communications officer and a managing officer of the company in April.
Before joining Toyota, she was executive vice present and chief communications officer at PepsiCo. Prior to that, Hamp held a variety of communications posts at General Motors for two decades, including vice president at the end of her tenure when she was under consideration for the top communications post at GM.
(Toyota sets new industry benchmark with launch of Mirai hydrogen car. Click Here for more.)
It would be hard to believe that Hamp is not going to be convicted and imprisoned with what has been reported so far.
10 years in prison? Why not send her back to her country, ban her from Japan, and save a LOT of money in prison overhead?
The Japanese have been fanatic about enforcing drug laws and could use her as an example.
Paul E.
Too bad the U.S. doesn’t enforce drug laws. Instead the U.S. legalizes drugs so they can tax them to balance government over-spending. Now the states where illicit drugs have been legalized have massive healthcare and other related social services expenses which have skyrocketed as a direct result of legalizing illicit, harmful drugs.
This is just another case of bad government bleeding the populace to pay for the criminals inside and outside of government.
Sorry, Jorge here I seriously disagree. First, the medical community was the strong proponent of expanding the use of high-powered painkillers, such as oxycontin. Federal regulators took that advice. And it’s a national, not state, issue in terms of where such drugs were approved. The states, on the other hand, DO have to deal with the consequences.
If you are talking about the legalization or decriminalization of previously illicit drugs, that really refers to marijuana. I’ve been following this one closely. So far, no evidence of a problem. And, in some instances, it’s resolving a problem by shifting business away from criminal suppliers.
Paul E.
Actually a number of states that have legalize marijuana have had dramatic increases in vehicular accidents and health care costs as a direct result of the legalization of marijuana.
Paul, I was referring to marijuana and there is a wealth of data to show how foolish the decision was to legalize it and the MANY problems that have resulted from it. (See the links below).
As far as oxycodone or similar pain killers they are immensely beneficial to those who suffer from serious chronic pain. Unfortunately these meds are often distributed like candy by some physicians.
In the U.S. we have an epidemic of excessive drug use and you can witness it on the roadways daily with drug crazed operators (using both prescription and illicit drugs), looking for a place to crash.
The links below are the reality of legalizing marijuana… Only someone in serious denial could argue that legalizing marijuana is beneficial to society. Japan is smart to have tough drug laws as well as copyright piracy laws with mandatory minimum 2 year prison sentences and high fines. Laws will never eliminate all crime but they can remove a lot of social problems from the streets, as they are intended to do. Crime is a choice. Before you chose you had better be willing to accept the consequences of your choice. Unfortunately legislators are not held accountable for their criminal legislative decisions.
http://www.in.gov/ipac/files/August_2014_Legalization_of_MJ_in_Colorado_the_Impact(1).pdf
https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2014/09/01/Marijuana-Legalization.aspx
http://www.adn.com/article/20140928/alaska-peace-officers-association-legal-marijuana-comes-too-great-cost
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/07/opinion/oe-sabet7
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deni-carise/legalizing-marijuana-the-_b_3620472.html
Paul … you are wrong. Marijuana has been a deadly Class I Federal restricted drug for a long time.
But the liberal states have voted counter LAWS legalizing it and the Obama admin has disarmed the AG to enforce this FEDERAL LAW which has been around for decades.
Marijuana has been a Class 1 drug, yes, but that has been more a political football than anything else. There is little to no evidence of its dangers. Yes, driving while stoned is clearly a problem, but beyond that the research has been minimal, at most. Marijuana was largely stigmatized by Harry Anslinger and the one-time heads of prohibition when that act was repealed. It was thought of as a ghetto, or black, drug and made for a good replacement for anti-bootleggers looking to keep a job. Curiously, the restrictions were so intense that for decades virtually no research was allowed and the anti-weed forces didn’t even have solid research to back their claims. The pro- side, both medical and recreational, struggled for their own data in the US, eventually turning to overseas research and a slowly expanding body of research in the States. There appears to be evidence of the dangers of using pot at too early an age — much like alcohol. But beyond that, the evidence is far from supportive of opponents…and certainly not there to justify marijuana remaining a Class 1 drug. Beyond that, the number of people in American prisons due to minor pot-related offenses (here, not talking about folks from Mexican cartels importing 1,000s of tons) is huge, disproportionate and highly counter-productive.
And so on. This is an auto site so I will wrap up here.
Paul A. Eisenstein
Publisher, TheDetroitBureau.com
If she is convicted and sent to prison for 10 years, I’ll bet she and other people will think twice about importing illicit drugs to Japan.
Probably not. Do death sentences deter capital crime? Not so as you would notice.
Actually death sentences prevent that particular criminal from ever committing another crime – which is a valuable service to society. No punishment will deter all crime because some people are idiots. They are the ones who end up in prison and complain that the laws are unfair or they end up dead as a result of their own stupidity.
If you don’t think most people are deterred by a death sentence look at the number of requests for clemency, retrials and other pleas by those on death row about to be executed for their crimes.
I think she’s being “convicted” w/o any real proof of purposely breaking the drug law. Ask yourself, how many times have any of you known of a woman putting their meds in their jewerly case when traveling? I know many who have done that, as well as putting their husbands as well as kids meds in there.
How about holding negative judgements / comments until ALL the facts come out?
Actually she MAILED the drugs to herself mixed in with her jewelry. Personally I don’t know anyone who stores meds in their jewelry box when traveling. In fact most people that I know carry important meds on their person or in a hand bag to be certain they don’t get lost.
I believe in giving everyone the benefit of doubt but she has yet to explain why she MAILED the drugs to herself.
As far as not knowing it was a crime to bring oxycodone (or similar) in to Japan, as with the U.S., ignorance of the law is not an acceptable legal defense. If she has a legitimate script for the medication she could plead stupidity and hope for some leniency but she had better have a Helleva good reason why she mailed the drugs to herself in Japan.
Paul,
You’re in SERIOUS DENIAL about pot and you have obviously not read the links I posted above with government statistics on Colorado’s dramatic increases at all levels of social problems associated with the legalization of Pot. Denial does NOT change reality. There is report after report after report by legitimate agencies on the negative impact on society and the staggering costs of legalizing pot.