Osamu Uno
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Kyoto in 1917, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at Tokyo Imperial University in 1942 and joined Kureha Spinning. He moved to Toyobo through the merger of April 1966, serving as General Manager of the Product Development Department from October that year and of the Chemical Products Division from February 1968. The Chemical Products Division, launched in March 1968 alongside the conversion of the Inuyama Plant to film, was the seed of the non-fiber business. He became a Director in June 1971, Managing Director in June 1974, Senior Managing Director in July 1976 and Executive Vice President in December 1977.
Selection
In July 1978 he became President as Ichiji Otani moved to Chairman. He took office 12 years after the 1966 merger, the first president from Kureha Spinning. In the FY ended April 1978, just before, sales were ¥211.7 billion with a net loss of ¥3.4 billion, the third loss-making period due to the textile slump. His record of leading the Chemical Products Division since 1968 matched the role of shifting resources toward non-fiber businesses.
Initiatives
In May 1980 the company began producing the hollow-fiber reverse osmosis membrane Hollosep. In June 1982, marking its centenary, it set out the 1990 Vision following the 1985 Vision, with a numerical target of raising the non-fiber share of sales to 40%. It directed resources to plastics, biochemicals, separation membranes and electronics, entering them through a stronger alliance with Sharp and joint ventures with companies in other industries. Sales grew from ¥211.7 billion in the FY ended April 1978 to ¥353.9 billion in the FY ended April 1983, and the bottom line recovered from a ¥3.4 billion loss to a ¥2.5 billion profit.
Career
Career
Kureha Spinning
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1949 | Joined |
Toyobo
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1978 | President |
| 1983 | Chairman |
| Jul 1983 | Stepped down as President |