Sumito Kawano
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He left Shinsei Bank in March 2001 and joined Yaoko in April of that year. He became General Manager of Grocery in January 2009, a Director in June of that year, Deputy General Manager of the Management Reform Promotion Headquarters in December, Managing Director in June 2011 and Representative Director and Executive Vice President in February 2012. In the fiscal year ended March 2011, the top major shareholders were Kawano Shoji at 17.74% and Kawano Partners at 9.97%, with individuals Kiyomi Kawano at 7.40% and Yukio Kawano at 2.96%, while Sumito Kawano himself was not in the top ten.
Selection
In April 2013 he became Representative Director and President, succeeding Kiyomi Kawano. The change came one year and two months after he became Representative Director and Executive Vice President in February 2012, and 12 years after he joined. In the fiscal year ended March 2013, before he took office, consolidated net sales were ¥237.3 billion and ordinary income ¥10.8 billion, the second straight year of higher sales and profit from ¥211.6 billion and ¥9.4 billion in FY ended March 2011.
Initiatives
He also became Representative Director of Avé in April 2017 and of Foodcot in February 2021. In 2025 he established the pure holding company Blue Zone Holdings and moved to a holding company structure. Consolidated net sales grew from ¥237.3 billion in the fiscal year ended March 2013, before he took office, to ¥813.2 billion in FY ended March 2026, and ordinary income from ¥10.8 billion to ¥35.7 billion.
Career
Career
Shinsei Bank
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Mar 2001 | Retired |
| Apr 2001 | Joined Buruzon |
| Jan 2009 | General Manager, Buruzongurossari Department |
| Jun 2009 | Director, Buruzon |
| Dec 2009 | Deputy General Manager of Headquarters, Buruzon Management Reform Promotion Headquarters |
| Mar 2011 | Deputy General Manager of Headquarters, Buruzon Management Reform Promotion Headquarters and Deputy General Manager of Headquarters, Sales Headquarters |
| Jun 2011 | Managing Director, Buruzon |
| Feb 2012 | Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Buruzon |
| Apr 2013 | Representative Director, President, Buruzon |
| Apr 2017 | Representative Director, Eivui |
| Feb 2021 | Representative Director, Fukotto |
References 1
References (Japanese primary sources)
- ブルーゾーンホールディングス（株式会社ヤオコー）有価証券報告書 第68期（2025年3月期）【役員の状況】