Isamu Ono
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He graduated from Keio University in 1923 and joined Morinaga & Co. that April. He became Managing Director of Morinaga Shokuryo Kogyo in May 1946 and moved to Morinaga Milk Industry as Senior Managing Director in October 1949. After stepping down as Senior Managing Director in May 1956 to become standing counselor, he returned as Managing Director in May 1957 and Representative Director and Senior Managing Director in May 1958, and became Representative Director and President in May 1960. He moved from the confectionery side to dairy and, after once leaving the board, rose to President.
Selection
In May 1960 he succeeded Matsuji Ogushi as Representative Director and President. Four years earlier, in May 1956, he had stepped down as Senior Managing Director to take responsibility for the Morinaga arsenic milk poisoning incident, being demoted to standing counselor. That same year the company resumed suspended plant construction, acquiring land from Nihon Kentetsu, then in bankruptcy liquidation, to begin building a Tokyo plant in Katsushika, completed the following year, and invited Dr. Masahisa Maeno of Hokkaido University to head its research laboratory. The appointment returned the man who had handled the incident and the rebuilding to the presidency within four years.
Initiatives
Non-consolidated net sales, ¥17.6 billion in the fiscal year ended March 1960, just before he took office, grew to ¥143.2 billion in FY ended March 1974, just before he stepped down. The company launched the powdered creamer Creap in April 1961, opened a central research laboratory in April 1964, and in February 1966 began operating the world's most advanced automated fluid milk equipment at the Tokyo Tama plant. In February 1970 it partnered with Kraft of the US to establish the cheese maker MK Cheese. When the after-effects of the incident were made public in 1969, the company offered the next day to have the Ministry of Health and Welfare conduct investigations and examinations, and in April 1974 launched the fully funded Hikari Foundation, building a framework for permanent relief.
Career
Career
Morinaga &
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1923 | Joined |
Morinaga Milk Industry
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1949 | Senior Managing Director |
| 1956 | Resigned as Senior Managing Director |
| 1957 | Returned |
| May 1960 | President |
| May 1974 | Chairman |
| Jun 1974 | Stepped down as President |
| Jun 1979 | Director, Senior Advisor |
References 3
References (Japanese primary sources)
- 日本企業要覧 1979年版
- 日本企業要覧 1962年版
- 日本経済新聞 私の履歴書 1981年8月 大野勇