Tokusaburo Kosaka
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Nagano Prefecture in 1916, he graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Tokyo Imperial University in March 1939 and joined the Asahi Shimbun. He moved to Shin-Etsu Chemical in May 1949, joining as General Manager, became Representative Director and Managing Director the following month, in June, and Representative Director and Executive Vice President in January 1951. It took him only one year and eight months from joining to become Executive Vice President. Since Junzo Kosaka took over shares from Jusaburo Koshi and became president in May 1931, the Kosaka family had led the company's management for about 40 years, and he represents the core of that era.
Selection
In July 1956 he rose from Representative Director and Executive Vice President to President. As of 1955 the President was Junzo Kosaka, with him as Executive Vice President. Three years before he took office, in October 1953, the Isobe Plant had begun the production of silicones, and as Executive Vice President he had been in charge of commercializing it. He later said that for five years after commercialization it was "hardly a product at all." Net sales in the fiscal year ended May 1956 were ¥3.7 billion, and he inherited the presidency with fertilizer still making up most of the business.
Initiatives
His tenure lasted 15 years, from July 1956 to July 1971, during which the core business changed. In March 1957 the Naoetsu Plant began producing PVC and caustic soda using the acetylene process, and in July 1960 the Isobe Plant started producing semiconductor silicon. In March 1967 the company established Shin-Etsu Handotai as a joint venture with Dow Corning of the US, and in August 1970 it launched ethylene-process PVC at the Kashima Plant. Net sales grew 11-fold, from ¥3.7 billion in the fiscal year ended May 1956 to ¥42.8 billion in FY ended May 1971. He became a member of the House of Representatives in December 1969 and handed the presidency to Shuzo Kobayashi in July 1971.
Career
Career
Asahi Shimbun
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Mar 1939 | Joined |
Shin-Etsu Chemical
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| May 1949 | General Manager |
| Jun 1949 | Representative Director, Managing Officer |
| Jan 1951 | Representative Director, Executive Vice President |
| Jul 1956 | Representative Director, President |
House of Representatives
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Dec 1969 | Member of the House of Representatives |
References 4
References (Japanese primary sources)
- 日本企業要覧 1962年版
- 日本企業要覧 1971年版
- 企業の歴史 : 明治百年（経済春秋社, 1968）
- 信越化学工業 有価証券報告書【沿革】