Kanichi Nakayasu
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1895, he graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tokyo Higher Technical School in July 1918. He became a Director of Ube Cement Manufacturing in October 1934, Senior Managing Director in June 1944, head of the Ube Nitrogen Plant in October 1945 and head of the head office Industrial Headquarters in February 1950. A technical man who moved through production sites from machinery to chemicals, he was not related to the founding family but a career employee raised in Ube.
Selection
He became Representative Director and Executive Vice President in December 1952, and after more than five years became Representative Director and President in March 1958. His predecessor was Akira Tawarada. Around the time he took office, the seams of the core Okinoyama coal mine were thinning, and domestic coal was losing its place as a fuel with the shift to imported crude oil. It was also just after the new Ube caprolactam plant opened in December 1955, and the role of deciding what would come after coal appears to have fallen to the Executive Vice President who had run the machinery and chemical plants.
Initiatives
From 1957 he moved about 7,000 coal division employees into chemicals, cement and machinery, winding down the founding business without layoffs. In October 1964 he opened the Chiba Petrochemical Plant, shifting the main feedstock from coal to naphtha, and in October 1967 closed the Ube Mining Works after 70 years. Caprolactam grew into a mass-produced raw material for nylon 6 and became the foundation for later overseas expansion. He became Representative Director and Chairman in December 1977.
Career
Career
UBE
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1957 | Representative Director, President |
| 1977 | Stepped down as President |