Japan Airlines names ex-cabin attendant Tottori as first female president

Japan Airlines named its first female president on Wednesday, a former cabin attendant who rose through the ranks to senior management, taking a deeply symbolic step in a country struggling to close a vast gender gap at work.

Mitsuko Tottori, a senior managing executive officer who joined JAL in 1985, the year it suffered one of the worst crashes in airline history, will become president from April 1, it said in a statement.

The appointment comes as Japanese companies face increasing pressure to boost gender diversity and tackle a gender pay gap that is the worst among the Group of Seven nations and almost double the average of the OECD grouping of advanced economies.