Naruki Urata
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He joined Nippon Yakin Kogyo in April 1984, became general manager of overseas sales in June 2013, and deputy head of the Sales Headquarters and general manager of overseas sales in June 2016. He became an Executive Officer in April 2017 and Managing Executive Officer in April 2019, and was named head of the Sales Headquarters in April 2022. His entire career has been in sales, especially overseas sales.
Selection
In June 2024 he succeeded Hisashi Kubota as Representative Director and President. Kubota had been President for five years from April 2019 and moved to Chairman in this change. Urata had become a Director in June 2022 and Senior Managing Executive Officer in April 2023, building board experience and executive rank before becoming President. The appointment appears to have been a natural generational change, climbing step by step from head of sales to Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer.
Initiatives
When he took office, the high-efficiency electric arc furnace (E furnace) at the Kawasaki plant had been operating since January 2022. The capital investment recorded in the company history during his tenure is the start-up of a new cold rolling mill at the Kawasaki plant in December 2024. Results shrank to net sales of ¥172.1 billion and operating profit of ¥17.0 billion in FY ended March 2025, and ¥150.9 billion and ¥11.0 billion in FY ended March 2026; amid falling sales and profit, management seems to be focused on turning his predecessor's capital investment into earnings.
Career
Career
Nippon Yakin Kogyo
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1984 | Joined |
| Apr 2017 | Executive Officer |
| Apr 2019 | Managing Executive Officer |
| Jun 2022 | Director |
| Apr 2023 | Senior Managing Executive Officer |
| Jun 2024 | Representative Director, President |