Hachiro Honjo
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He took part in founding Nippon Family Service as a director in August 1964 and also became a director of Frontier Seicha, established in August 1966. That company changed its name to ITO EN, Ltd. in May 1969, and he went on through Managing Director, Senior Managing Director and Executive Vice President to become president in May 1988, the company's 22nd year. He is still listed among major shareholders in the FY ended April 2026, ranking fourth as an individual with 2.70%.
Selection
He advanced to Managing Director in May 1969 and Senior Managing Director in June 1970, became Executive Vice President in May 1978 and Representative Director and Executive Vice President in April 1987. He became president in May 1988, 18 years after becoming senior managing director and ten years with the title of executive vice president. He moved to the presidency one year after gaining representative authority, and the timing of the succession appears to have been set in advance.
Initiatives
Consolidated net sales doubled from ¥85.8 billion in the FY ended April 1994 to ¥174.0 billion in the FY ended April 2000, and ordinary income rose from ¥3.7 billion to ¥13.8 billion. In 2006 the company acquired shares of FoodX Globe, bringing the Japanese business of Tully's Coffee into a subsidiary. In 2007 it listed non-voting Class 1 preferred shares on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, adding a way to raise capital without diluting the voting rights of common shares.
Career
Career
Nippon Family Services
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Aug 1964 | Director (at founding) |
Furontia Tea
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Aug 1966 | Director (at founding) |
| May 1969 | Renamed ITO EN |
| May 1969 | Managing Director |
| Jun 1970 | Senior Managing Director |
| May 1978 | Executive Vice President |
| Apr 1987 | Representative Director, Executive Vice President |
| May 1988 | Representative Director, President |
| Jul 2002 | ITO ENINC. Chairman of the Board |
| May 2009 | Representative Director, Chairman |
| May 2009 | Stepped down as President |
Chichiyasu
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| May 2011 | Representative Director, Chairman |
| Jun 2012 | ITO EN Asia Pacific Holdings Pte.Ltd. Chairman of the Board |
| May 2024 | Director, Honorary Chairman, ITO ENLLC Chairman of the Board |
References 1
References (Japanese primary sources)
- 株式会社伊藤園 有価証券報告書 第45期（2009年4月期）【役員の状況】