For many Canadians, the Vietnam Struggle was a distant battle. For Hao Quoc Tien, a Vietnamese Canadian who’s now CEO of the Asia Area for Toyota Motor Corp., it grew to become a defining ingredient for his profession.

Fleeing the battle and the Communist regime for Canada, adopted by the troublesome integration into Canadian society, gave Tien a brand new perspective on overcoming challenges.

“I believe that ingredient allowed me to take a look at very troublesome conditions with a a lot lighter view, like a chance,” he mentioned. “I’ve seen this earlier than, I’ve been in a a lot worse scenario than right here, so why do I fear?”

In the present day Tien, president of Toyota Motor Asia Pacific, is among the many automaker’s most senior international executives, however he bought his begin working for the railway. After graduating from the College of Waterloo in Ontario with a bachelor of utilized sciences, in 1990 Tien grew to become supervisor of intermodal companies for the Canadian Pacific Railway, now often known as CPKC.

His time at CP Rail sparked his curiosity in automotive, as automobiles have been among the many key merchandise his intermodal companies helped ship. Toyota was one in all his purchasers. 9 years later, Tien joined Toyota Canada Inc. as director and chief info officer.

“Working with them by way of the years, I began to love the Toyota tradition,” he advised Automotive Information Canada from Singapore. “So when the chance got here in 1999, I truly joined the corporate. So it’s not likely about automotive; it’s Toyota that attracted me.”

After 11 years at Toyota, Tien was appointed common supervisor of Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan, then vice-president of Lexus China after which senior vice-president of gross sales and advertising and marketing for Toyota Motor Asia Pacific. From his base in Singapore, he labored his means as much as COO of gross sales and advertising and marketing earlier than transferring into varied top-level positions in Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Thailand, lastly returning to Singapore in his present position.

EYE-OPENING

Turning into an trade insider, Tien mentioned, opened his eyes to the huge scope of the automotive enterprise, from mining to manufacturing to monetary companies, advertising and marketing and guarantee work. He credit his insatiable curiosity for uplifting his profession development.

“I wish to be taught various things in regards to the trade, in order that inspired me to maneuver from job to job,” he mentioned. “I consider that curiosity and want to be taught actually match into Toyota’s job rotation tradition.”

Tien mentioned he by no means had eyes on the company suite in Singapore.

“I by no means thought that means. I at all times take each alternative at some point at a time and one alternative at a time.”

Tien’s position in Asia is vastly totally different from these of his counterparts in Canada or america, the place firm presidents cope with laws and market circumstances inside their borders. Tien offers with 17 international locations, stretching from India to the Philippines.

He credit his Canadian upbringing for his potential to navigate totally different cultures.

“As an immigrant, as an Asian Canadian, I really feel snug in numerous cultures, in transferring round,” Tien mentioned. “I consider that as a Canadian, we have been skilled to be delicate to cultural variety. … I’ve to say thanks to the Canadian authorities and our folks in Canada that we’re nurturing a really tolerant society.”