Kenjiro Kawakami
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Osaka in 1906, he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Tokyo Imperial University in March 1929. He became a Managing Director in March 1950, when Besshi Mining was launched by splitting off Seika Mining's metals division, then a Senior Managing Director in May 1956 and President in May 1963. Listed as a Managing Director from the launch without serving as a department head, he was one of the executives who moved from the former Sumitomo Mining to the metals business.
Selection
In May 1963 he succeeded Sotoji Tanaka as President. Just before, Sumitomo Metal Mining had entered electronics materials by founding Tokyo Denshi Kinzoku in April 1960 and autoclaved lightweight concrete by founding Siporex Seizo in April 1963, beginning to add businesses beyond copper. In that same May 1963, Miki Yonemura, who had risen from accounting manager to Director, became a Managing Director, coinciding with a reshuffle of the team that included the administrative side.
Initiatives
During his ten years he rebuilt the smelting and processing facilities. In July 1964 the company founded Sumiko ISP and began producing zinc and lead, and in August 1965 built a central research laboratory in Ichikawa. The Ome plant of the Electronic Metals Division was completed in September 1967, a new Niihama nickel plant in June 1970 and the Toyo smelter in February 1971. Domestic mines, by contrast, dwindled, and the Besshi mine, where the company began, ceased operations in March 1973, the same time he stepped down.
Career
Career
Sumitomo Metal Mining
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1962 | Representative Director, President |
| 1972 | Stepped down as President |