Sasaburo Kobayashi
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He graduated from the applied chemistry department of Hamamatsu Higher Technical School in March 1927 and joined The Japan Steel Works (the former company) that month. He received a doctorate in engineering in June 1939. He became a Director in May 1947, a Managing Director in December 1949, a Senior Managing Director in November 1957 and Executive Vice President in November 1961. Born in Nagano Prefecture, he was a career chemist who took 20 years from joining to reach the board.
Selection
In November 1965 he succeeded Takeshi Yanagi as President. In the fiscal year before he took over, ended March 1965, ordinary profit was ¥0.75 billion, having shrunk in three years to nearly a third of the ¥2.09 billion of FY ended March 1962. Katsutoshi Isaji, who joined from the same Hamamatsu Higher Technical School in 1928, became a Director in November 1957, whereas Kobayashi had joined the board ten years earlier, in May 1947. As profits thinned, the engineer who had reached the board fastest in the company was chosen.
Initiatives
Over his eight years, net sales tripled from ¥26.2 billion in FY ended March 1966 to ¥79.6 billion in FY ended March 1973, and ordinary profit recovered from ¥0.23 billion to ¥3.17 billion. Net income reached ¥2.58 billion in FY ended March 1971. During this period he also sat on the boards of Arm Kosan from May 1965 and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding from May 1970. In November 1973 he stepped back to Representative Director and Chairman, handing the presidency to Tatsuro Ono.
Career
Career
Japan Steel Works
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1927 | Joined |
| May 1947 | Director |
| Dec 1949 | Managing Director |
| Nov 1957 | Senior Managing Director |
| Nov 1961 | Executive Vice President |
| Nov 1965 | President |
| Nov 1973 | Chairman |
| Nov 1973 | Stepped down as President |
| Jun 1983 | Senior Advisor |