Hello, I'm Sam Fenwick and welcome to Business Daily Meats from the BBC World Service.

This is where we bring you in-depth interviews with people in business from across the globe.

Today we're meeting one of Japan's trailblazing female CEOs, Makiko Ono,

the boss of Suntry, beverage and food, one of the largest drink companies in the world.

We'll hear about her determination to prove women can climb the corporate ladder.

At a time, still in Japan, female workers didn't always have the same job opportunities as male.

A career that started more than four decades ago at Suntry Holdings,

the parent company of Suntry beverage and food, well known for its whiskey production.

I have been working very long time in Suntory.

Not only this soft drink beverage category, I started my career in the wine area and even ice cream.

And when she got the call to become the boss...

I was a bit hesitating to take this role. It's such a big challenge. I took it because I thought

I would open the door for next generation's females.

That's Makiko Ono and the global drink sector, all coming up in today's

Business Daily.

Makiko Ono is a standout figure in Japan, being among a few female leaders in a landscape where less than 1% of listed firms have a woman as the CEO.

Her journey to the top was gradual, but her perseverance did eventually pay off.

And it was a TV show which she used to watch as a child that influenced her

career choice. There is a Japanese female tour conductor and she was traveling all around the

world, introducing a lot of nice places, beautiful countries. And I think it gave me such a strong memory and strong

impression of knowing new country or new area totally different from Japan. And I think that was

a starting point for me to start to have some interest in outside of Japan.

...