Masaaki Ito
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He joined Kuraray in April 1980 and spent 35 years inside the company before becoming President. He joined the executive ranks as an Executive Officer in June 2012, his 32nd year, then became Managing Executive Officer in June 2013 and Director and Managing Executive Officer in June 2014. It was two years and seven months from joining management as an executive to becoming President. On stepping down as President in January 2021 he became Chairman of the Board, and since June 2024 has also been an outside director of Hitachi Construction Machinery.
Selection
In January 2015 he succeeded Fumio Ito as Representative Director and President. He had joined the board only in June 2014, so he had served as a Director for seven months. In the FY ended December 2014, just before he took office, consolidated net sales were ¥411.4 billion and operating income ¥40.3 billion, and from that period the fiscal year-end moved from March to December. The change came the month after the switch in fiscal year was completed, and appears to have been timed to that milestone.
Initiatives
In 2018 the company acquired US-based Calgon Carbon, adding environmental solutions as a pillar alongside resins and fibers. Consolidated net sales grew from ¥518.4 billion in the FY ended December 2017 to ¥602.9 billion in the FY ended December 2018. On the other hand, a fire at a US plant and litigation losses led to a net loss of ¥1.9 billion in the FY ended December 2019. In the FY ended December 2020, his final year, sales were ¥541.7 billion and operating income ¥44.3 billion, both above the ¥411.4 billion and ¥40.3 billion of the FY ended December 2014 before he took office.
Career
Career
Kuraray
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1980 | Joined |
| Jun 2012 | Executive Officer |
| Jun 2013 | Managing Executive Officer |
| Jun 2014 | Director and Managing Executive Officer |
| Jan 2015 | Representative Director, President |
| Jan 2021 | Chairman |
| Jan 2021 | Stepped down as President |
Hitachi Construction Machinery
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Jun 2024 | Outside Director |
References 1
References (Japanese primary sources)
- クラレ 有価証券報告書【役員の状況】