Masahiko Uotani
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He joined Lion Dentifrice in 1977, became Director and Senior Vice President of Coca-Cola Japan in May 1994 and its President in October 2001. In June 2007 he founded his own brand strategy firm. Shiseido brought him in as Chief Marketing Advisor in April 2013. He had no background in cosmetics manufacturing or research.
Selection
In the fiscal year before he took office, ended March 2013, the company posted a net loss of ¥14.6 billion on consolidated revenue of ¥677.7 billion. His predecessor, Shinzo Maeda, had stepped down as President in April 2011, returned in April 2013 and was replaced after one year. In April 2014 Shiseido installed as President the outsider it had brought in as an adviser the year before. The appointment appears to have put a marketing specialist in charge of rebuilding the brands.
Initiatives
In December 2014, his first year, he set out the medium- to long-term strategy VISION 2020, targeting revenue above ¥1 trillion, operating income above ¥100 billion and ROE of 12% or more in fiscal 2020. Driven by demand from inbound tourists, the fiscal year ended December 2019 set records for both consolidated revenue, at ¥1,131.5 billion, and operating income, at ¥113.8 billion. In 2021 the company sold its personal care business, which included TSUBAKI and uno, for ¥160.0 billion, and that December also let go of three U.S. brands including bareMinerals, narrowing its focus to the premium segment.
Career
Career
Lion Dentifrice
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1977 | Joined |
Coca-Cola Japan
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| May 1994 | Director, Senior Executive Vice President |
| Oct 2001 | Representative Director, President |
| Aug 2006 | Representative Director, Chairman |
Brand Vijon
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Jun 2007 | Representative Director, President |
Shiseido
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 2013 | Head of Marketing, Advisor |
| Apr 2014 | Executive Officer, President |
| Jun 2014 | Representative Director |
| Jan 2023 | Representative Director, Chairman, CEO |
| Jan 2023 | Stepped down as President |