Kensaku Fukuda
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He joined the company in 1992, became a Director of Akita Zinc in 2010 and its Representative Director in 2013. He moved to the head-office technology function in 2016, became Director and head of the zinc business at DOWA Metals & Mining in 2019, president of Akita Zinc in 2022, and Executive Officer and president of DOWA Metals & Mining in 2024. His career ran through zinc smelting operations and the management of operating subsidiaries, and at the May 2025 briefing on the Medium-Term Plan 2027 he appeared as the Executive Officer in charge of the smelting business.
Selection
He became Executive Vice President in April 2026 and Representative Director, President and COO that June. The company's procedure is for the president to select a successor candidate, consult the nomination committee and have the board decide. The progression from Executive Officer for smelting through Executive Vice President to President suggests that his record leading operating subsidiaries was valued. The specific reasons for his selection cannot be confirmed from the available materials.
Initiatives
He took office in June 2026, and as of October 2026 no materials document decisions he has made as President, so none are described here. The clues lie in remarks he made as an Executive Officer: the smelting business would aim to raise sales by expanding the collection area for PGM recycling and raising utilization at a new sampling site in North America. He also expected raw material terms for zinc concentrate to improve gradually toward fiscal 2027 as new overseas zinc mines came on stream. He appears likely to continue this course as President.
Career
Career
Dowa Holdings Holdings
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1992 | Joined |
| Apr 2010 | Smelting, Director, Akita |
| Jun 2013 | Smelting, Representative Director, Akita |
| Apr 2016 | Engineering Division |
| Apr 2019 | DOWAメタルマイン 取締役 亜鉛事業部長 (translation pending) |
| Apr 2022 | Smelting, Representative Director, President, Akita |
| Apr 2024 | Executive Officer and Representative Director, President, Dowa Holdings Metal Main |
| Apr 2026 | Executive Vice President, Executive Officer |
| Jun 2026 | Representative Director, President, COO |