Yoshiaki Fujimori, president and CEO of Lixil Group Corp., believes a true leader must carry out two main tasks: implement innovative changes and educate the next generation.

His belief is heavily influenced by his former boss Jack Welch, one of America's legendary business executives who led General Electric Co. between 1981 and 2001.

A graduate of University of Tokyo's engineering department, Fujimori started his career in 1975 working for Nissho Iwai Corp., a trading house, which later became Sojitz Corp. He joined General Electric Japan at age 35 and became the first Asian to take a senior vice presidency position at GE headquarters in 2001.