Kichibee Yamamoto
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He was a Director as of May 1970 and Managing Director as of November 1974. He joined in 1936 and worked on the sales front line. Before he took office, Shiseido controlled cosmetics distribution with 89 sales companies jointly funded with wholesalers and a voluntary chain of about 16,000 affiliated stores. As of November 1974 the major shareholders were financial institutions led by Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank with 6.02%, Nippon Fire and Marine Insurance with 3.74% and Asahi Mutual Life Insurance with 3.47%, and the founding family was not in the top ten. His appointment appears to have rested not on capital but on hands-on experience with the sales organization.
Selection
He became President, succeeding Nobukazu Fukuhara. The officer list for the fiscal year ended November 1974 shows Fukuhara as President and Yamamoto as Managing Director. In the previous fiscal year, ended November 1976, revenue was ¥228.5 billion and ordinary income ¥21.1 billion, continuing the run of higher revenue and profit. On the production side, the Kakegawa plant was completed in July 1975 and began operating that October. The appointment appears to have handed the practical work of managing the growing number of sales companies and chain stores to the Senior Managing Director from sales.
Initiatives
In the 1980s consumers began choosing cosmetics according to age, the products that sold differed by location, and Shiseido responded with high-variety, small-lot production. Production capacity also grew, with the Kuki plant completed in January 1983. Overseas, the company set up Shiseido Deutschland GmbH in July 1980. Revenue grew from ¥250.5 billion in the fiscal year ended November 1977 to ¥318.0 billion in FY ended November 1983, and ordinary income from ¥22.0 billion to ¥28.7 billion. Running the business with more product varieties ended up only increasing inventories.
Career
Career
Shiseido
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1970 | Director |
| 1974 | Managing Director |
| 1977 | President |
| 1983 | Stepped down as President |