Not long ago, Nissan's foreign-born CEO, Carlos Ghosn, was a Japanese sensation. The charismatic leader swooped in to save a national icon from bankruptcy. And he soon was hailed the rock star CEO by a doting public and glorified as the hero in a comic book series.
Now Akio Toyoda -- president of rival Toyota Motor Corp. and grandson of that company's founder -- is quickly emerging as a celebrity CEO in his own right.
Consider his reception last weekend at the annual Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival for car buffs at the Fuji Speedway Formula One circuit just southwest of Tokyo.
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