Takeshi Yanagi
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering of Tokyo Imperial University in March 1926 and joined The Japan Steel Works (the former company) that year. He became a Director in January 1947, a Managing Director in August 1951, a Senior Managing Director in May 1956 and Executive Vice President in November 1957. It took 21 years from joining to reach the board, but only two from Executive Vice President to President. Born in Tochigi Prefecture, he was a career engineer with an engineering degree.
Selection
In November 1959 he succeeded Kumezo Ishizuka as President. In the fiscal year before he took over, ended March 1959, net sales were ¥12.8 billion and ordinary profit ¥0.83 billion, with sales down 40% from ¥21.6 billion (and ¥1.22 billion in ordinary profit) the year before. Yanagi had been Executive Vice President since November 1957. Right after sales plunged, the change elevated the Executive Vice President at the top of the internal hierarchy.
Initiatives
Over his six years, net sales doubled from ¥12.8 billion in FY ended March 1959 to ¥25.9 billion in FY ended March 1965. Ordinary profit, however, was flat, going from ¥0.83 billion to ¥0.75 billion, and thinned after peaking at ¥2.09 billion in FY ended March 1962. In 1962 Yanagi took on standing director posts at the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, the Japan Ship Machinery association and the Japan Federation of Employers' Associations in quick succession, and from April 1963 also sat on the board of Arm Kogyo.
Career
Career
Japan Steel Works
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1923 | Joined |
| Nov 1947 | Director |
| Oct 1948 | Managing Director |
| May 1956 | Senior Managing Director |
| Nov 1957 | Executive Vice President |
| Nov 1959 | President |
| Nov 1965 | Senior Advisor |
| Nov 1965 | Stepped down as President |