Takaaki Nishii
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He joined Ajinomoto in April 1982 and advanced to general manager of human resources in July 2009, Executive Officer in June 2011 and Director and Managing Executive Officer in June 2013. From August 2013 he served as Representative Director and President of Ajinomoto do Brasil. He was a career employee whose path ran through human resources and the management of an overseas subsidiary. He had no capital ties to the founding family; major shareholders in the FY ended March 2015 were trust banks and a life insurer: The Master Trust Bank of Japan at 8.07%, Japan Trustee Services Bank at 6.09% and The Dai-ichi Life Insurance at 4.41%.
Selection
In June 2015 he succeeded Masatoshi Ito as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer. His previous post was Representative Director and President of Ajinomoto do Brasil, an appointment moving him from an overseas subsidiary to the top of headquarters. In the fiscal year ended March 2015, the year before he took office, consolidated net sales were ¥1,006.6 billion and operating income ¥74.5 billion, turning to growth in both from ¥951.3 billion and ¥62.5 billion the previous year. His selection appears to have rested on his record leading an overseas subsidiary and his experience as head of human resources.
Initiatives
Growth in scale peaked at consolidated revenue of ¥1,184.1 billion in the FY ended March 2016; in the FY ended March 2019 revenue was ¥1,114.3 billion and operating income ¥53.6 billion, and operating income fell to ¥48.8 billion in the FY ended March 2020. From fiscal 2019 he made return on invested capital (ROIC) a management indicator and began selecting and concentrating businesses. Operating income was ¥101.1 billion in the FY ended March 2021, and in the FY ended March 2022, his final year, consolidated revenue recovered to ¥1,149.3 billion and operating income to ¥124.6 billion.
Career
Career
Ajinomoto
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1982 | Joined |
| Jul 2009 | General Manager, Human Resources Department |
| Jun 2011 | Executive Officer |
| Jun 2013 | Director, Managing Executive Officer |
| Aug 2013 | Representative Director, President, Brazil Ajinomoto |
| Jun 2015 | President, Chief Executive Officer |
| Jun 2021 | Representative Corporate Executive Officer, President, Chief Executive Officer |
| Apr 2022 | Stepped down as President |
References 1
References (Japanese primary sources)
- 味の素 有価証券報告書【役員の状況】