Showa Denko Announces Changes in Corporate Management

TOKYO, Dec 2, 2021 – (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) – Showa Denko (SDK; TSE: 4004) decided at its Board of Directors meeting today on changes in corporate management (directors, audit & supervisory board members, corporate officers, executive officers, and councilors). SDK will organize a new management team integrated with that of Showa Denko Materials Co., Ltd. (SDMC), aiming to accelerate integration of organizations of SDK and SDMC and promote speedy management of the Showa Denko Group.

In addition, SDK will establish a new position named “Executive Officer” as a position between Corporate Officer and Councilor, effective January 4, 2022.

Motohiro Takeuchi (Representative Director; Managing Corporate Officer; Chief Financial Officer (CFO); officer in charge of Finance & Accounting, and Information Systems departments) will resign as Representative Director and Managing Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will assume the post of Assistant to President on January 4, 2022. He will also resign as Director at the General Meeting of Shareholders in late March 2022.

Hideo Ichikawa (Director; Chairman of the Board) will resign as Director at the General Meeting of Shareholders in late March 2022 and become Executive Advisor.

Hideki Somemiya (General Manager, Preparation Office for Group CFO) and Tomomitsu Maoka (General Manager, Preparation Office for Group CSO) will be elected directors of SDK at the General Meeting of Shareholders in late March 2022. Prior to these promotions, Somemiya will become Managing Corporate Officer; Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Maoka will become Managing Corporate Officer; Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), both effective January 4, 2022.

Setsu Onishi will resign as Outside Member of the Audit & Supervisory Board at the General Meeting of Shareholders in late March 2022.

Meanwhile, Yasuyuki Miyasaka (Yasuyuki Miyasaka CPA Office; Outside Member of the Audit & Supervisory Board, ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN Co., Ltd.; Outside Corporate Auditor, Board of Corporate Auditors, Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) will be elected as Outside Member of the Audit & Supervisory Board at the General Meeting of Shareholders in late March 2022.

Kohei Morikawa will resign as Corporate Officer, President and CEO on January 3, 2022. He will become Representative Director, Chairman of the Board on January 4.

Jiro Ishikawa (Senior Managing Corporate Officer; General Manager, Device Solutions Division; officer in charge of Electronics Materials Project and Chichibu Plant) will resign as Senior Managing Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will become Executive Officer; General Manager, Device Solutions Division on January 4, 2022.

Yoichi Takeuchi (Corporate Officer; Plant Manager, Kawasaki Plant) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will become Corporate Expert, Assistant to President on January 4, 2022.

Taichi Nagai (Corporate Officer; Oita Complex Representative) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will become Executive Officer on January 4, 2022, and will continue working as Oita Complex Representative.

Masunori Kaiho (Corporate Officer; officer in charge of Kawasaki Plant, Higashinagahara Plant, Isesaki Plant, Tatsuno Plant, Production Technology, Energy & Electricity Department, SPS Innovation, and Responsible Care departments; Chairman of the Security Export Control Committee and Safety Measures Committee) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will become Corporate Expert, Assistant to President on January 4, 2022. We will assume the post of Audit & Supervisory Board Member of Tsurusaki Kyodo Doryoku K.K. in late March 2022.

Tetsuo Wada (Corporate Officer; General Manager, Institute for Integrated Product Development) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will become Corporate Expert, Institute for Integrated Product Development on January 4, 2022.

Hirotsugu Fukuda (Corporate Officer; General Manager, Petrochemicals Division and Olefin Department; officer in charge of Oita Complex) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will be newly appointed Executive Officer on January 4, 2022. He will continue working as General Manager, Petrochemicals Division.

Eishi Wakutsu (Corporate Officer; General Manager, Corporate Strategy Department; member of Security Export Control Committee) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will be newly appointed Executive Officer; General Manager, Preparation Office for Risk Management Department and Preparation Office for Integration on January 4, 2022.

Kenjiro Yamamasu (Corporate Officer; General Manager, Electronic Chemicals Division; officer in charge of Tokuyama Pant) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will be newly appointed Executive Officer on January 4, 2022. He will continue working as General Manager, Electronic Chemicals Division.

Kazuo Hirakura (Corporate Officer; General Manager, Industrial Gases Division; President, Showa Denko Gas Products Co., Ltd.) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will be newly appointed Executive Officer on January 4, 2022. He will continue working as General Manager, Industrial Gases Division, and President, Showa Denko Gas Products Co., Ltd.

Hiroyuki Eda (Corporate Officer; officer in charge of Aluminum Specialty Components Division, Oyama and Kitakata plants) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will be newly appointed Executive Officer; General Manager, Aluminum Specialty Components Division on January 4, 2022.

Makoto Takeda (Corporate Officer; General Manager, Carbon Division) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will be newly appointed Executive Officer on January 4, 2022. He will continue working as General Manager, Carbon Division.

Katsuyuki Tsuji (Corporate Officer; General Manager, Advanced Battery Materials Division; President, Showa Denko Packaging Co., Ltd.) will resign as Corporate Officer on January 3, 2022. He will be newly appointed Executive Officer on January 4, 2022. He will continue working as General Manager, Advanced Battery Materials Division, and President, Showa Denko Packaging Co., Ltd.

There will be the following changes in corporate officers’ responsibilities as from January 4, 2022:

Hidehito Takahashi (Managing Corporate Officer; Chief Strategy Officer (CSO); officer in charge of Coating Materials Department, Carbon and Ceramics divisions, Yokohama and Shiojiri plants, and Corporate Strategy Department) will be promoted to Corporate Officer, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on January 4, 2022.

Keiichi Kamiguchi (Managing Corporate Officer; Chief Risk Officer (CRO); General Manager, Preparation Office for Group CRO; officer in charge of Internal Audit, Legal, CSR & General Affairs, Human Resources, Purchasing & SCM departments; Chairman, Security Export Control Committee) will work as Managing Corporate Officer; Chief Risk Officer (CRO); and Chairman, Security Export Control Committee, effective January 4, 2022.

Hiroshi Sakai (Corporate Officer; Chief Technology Officer (CTO); General Manager, Preparation Office for Group CTO; officer in charge of Advanced Battery Materials Division, Institute for Integrated Product Development, Corporate R&D and Intellectual Property departments) will be promoted to Managing Corporate Officer. He will continue working as CTO.

Meanwhile, Hiroyuki Yamashita (General Manager, Preparation Office for Electronics Business Headquarters, SDK) (Corporate Officer, Vice President; Chief Risk Management Officer (CRO), General Manager in charge of supervision of Information and Communication Business, SDMC) will be newly appointed Managing Corporate Officer of SDK on January 4, 2022. He will continue working as General Manager, Preparation Office for Electronics Business Headquarters, SDK.

Mitsuo Katayose (General Manager, Preparation Office for Advanced Functional Materials Business Headquarters, SDK) (Managing Corporate Officer, Chief Technology Officer (CTO); General Manager, Research and Innovation Promotion Headquarters, SDMC) will be newly appointed Corporate Officer of SDK on January 4, 2022. He will continue working as General Manager, Preparation Office for Advanced Functional Materials Business Headquarters, SDK.

Shigeru Fujita (General Manager, Preparation Office for Group CMO, SDK) (Managing Corporate Officer; General Manager, Marketing and Sales Operations; Deputy General Manager, Information and Communication Business Headquarters, SDMC) will be newly appointed Corporate Officer; Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) on January 4, 2022.

Yoshito Ishii (General Manager, Preparation Office for Preparation Office for Mobility Business Headquarters, SDK) (Corporate Officer; Deputy General Manager, Mobility Business Headquarters, SDMC) will be newly appointed Corporate Officer. He will continue working as General Manager, Preparation Office for Preparation Office for Mobility Business Headquarters, SDK.

Nori Imai (General Manager, Preparation Office for Group CHRO, SDK) (Corporate Officer; Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), SDMC) will be newly appointed Corporate Officer; Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) on January 4, 2022.

Masami Tobito (Councilor; General Manager, Preparation Office for Group CMEO/CQO) will resign as Councilor on January 3, 2022. He will be newly appointed Corporate Officer; Chief Operations, Manufacturing and Engineering Officer (CMEO)/Chief Quality Officer (CQO); and Chairman, Safety Measures Committee on January 4, 2022.

Hideki Shibata (Associate Councilor; General Manager, Information Systems Department; General Manager, Preparation Office for Group CDO) will be appointed Corporate Officer; Chief Digital Officer (CDO) on January 4, 2022.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi Daio (Councilor; General Manager, Process Solutions Center, Production Technology Department), Hitoshi Iwade (Councilor; Plant Manager, Chichibu Plant), Toru Kuroe (Councilor; General Manager, Production & Technology Control Department, Device Solution Division), Toshi Tsuzuki (Councilor; General Manager, Intellectual Property Department), Iwao Hashimoto (Councilor; Plant Manager, Kitakata Plant), Takuya Okubo (Councilor; General Manager, Ceramics Division; President, Showa Denko Ceramics Co., Ltd.) and Kiyofumi Matsuoka (Councilor; General Manager, Aluminum Specialty Components Division) will resign as councilors on January 3, 2022. Daio will become Corporate Expert, Process Solutions Center, Production Technologies Department. Iwade will become Corporate Expert, Device Solutions Division and Electronics Materials Project. Kuroe will become Corporate Expert, Business Development Department, Device Solutions Division. Tsuzuki will become Corporate Expert, Intellectual Property Department. Okubo will become Counselor, G ETECHNOS Corporation. Matsuoka will assume the post of Director, Showa Denko Gas Products Co., Ltd. These new positions will be effective on January 4, 2022.

There will be the following changes in councilors’ responsibilities as from January 4:

Tamami Koyama (Councilor, Assistant to President) will become Councilor, Human Resources Department. Mitsuhiro Yada (Councilor; General Manager, Functional Chemicals Division) will become Councilor, Preparation Office for Advanced Functional Materials Business Headquarters. Jun Ogawa (Councilor; Chief Representative of SDK in China; General Manager, China Office, Corporate Strategy Department; President, Showa Denko (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.) will become Councilor of SDK, and President, Showa Denko (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Makoto Kimura (Councilor; General Manager, Responsible Care Department; General Manager; Environment & Safety Office) will become Councilor; General Manager, Responsible Care Department. Satoshi Hara (Councilor; General Manager, Basic Chemicals Division) will become Councilor; General Manager, Basic Chemicals Division and General Manager, Preparation Office for Integration of Basic Chemicals Businesses.

As of late March next year, the Board of Directors will consist of Kohei Morikawa (Representative Director; Chairman of the Board); Hidehito Takahashi (Representative Director; President and CEO); Hisashi Maruyama (Director, SDK; Representative Director, Chairman of the Board, SDMC); Hiroshi Sakai (Director; Managing Corporate Officer; CTO); Hideki Somemiya (Director; Managing Corporate Officer; CFO); Tomomitsu Maoka (Director; Managing Corporate Officer; CSO); Masaharu Oshima, Kiyoshi Nishioka, Kozo Isshiki, and Noriko Morikawa (Outside Directors). In addition, Toshiharu Kato and Jun Tanaka will serve as Audit & Supervisory Board Members, and Kiyomi Sato, Masako Yajima, and Yasuyuki Miyasaka as Outside Members of the Audit & Supervisory Board.

About Showa Denko K.K.

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE: 4004, ADR: SHWDY) is a major manufacturer of chemical products serving from heavy industry to computers and electronics. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the Chemicals Sector provides industrial, high-performance and high-purity gases and chemicals for semicon and other industries, the Inorganics Sector provides ceramic products, such as alumina, abrasives, refractory/graphite electrodes and fine carbon products. The Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high bright LEDs, and rare earth magnetic alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.

Media contact:
Showa Denko K.K., CSR & Corporate Communication Office, Tel: 81-3-5470-3235

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