Koji Kawai
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He was born in Okayama Prefecture in 1914, graduated from the Faculty of Economics of Tokyo Imperial University in March 1939 and joined Dai Nippon Brewery that April. At Nippon Breweries he worked on the sales front lines as Kyushu branch manager from October 1962 and Osaka branch manager from September 1967. He rose to councillor in February 1969 and Director in February 1971, also heading business development from September of that year and public relations from November 1974. It took him 32 years from joining to reach the board.
Selection
He became Senior Managing Director in March 1977 and President eleven months later, in February 1978. His predecessor Yoshikazu Kadowaki became Chairman the same month. Yasumasa Hashino, who also became senior managing director in March 1977, had joined in 1940, only one year after Kawai's 1939 entry. In the FY ended December 1977, before he took office, net sales were ¥208.4 billion and ordinary income ¥6.06 billion, recovering from ¥175.2 billion and ¥5.18 billion the previous year.
Initiatives
In April 1977, the year before he became president, as Managing Director he pushed through the nationwide launch of the unpasteurized "Sapporo Bin Nama," concentrating advertising and sales on draft beer to challenge Kirin Brewery's runaway lead. During his tenure net sales grew from ¥208.4 billion in the FY ended December 1977 to ¥379.9 billion in the FY ended December 1984, and ordinary income from ¥6.06 billion to ¥9.75 billion. In the FY ended December 1978 the company posted operating income of ¥7.88 billion.
Career
Career
Sapporo Holdings
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1978 | President |
| 1988 | Stepped down as President |