Katsuji Kawashima
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1918, he graduated from Oita Higher Commercial School in 1939. He joined the sales company Brother Sewing Machine Sales in October 1946 and moved to Brother Industries in June 1954. He rose consistently through sales, becoming General Manager of Sales in December 1960, a Director in July 1969, Managing Director in January 1975 and Senior Managing Director in February 1977.
Selection
In February 1981 he became President after Genichi Hirata moved to corporate auditor. This made two consecutive presidents from outside the founding family, while Masayoshi Yasui, who had taken part in the company's founding in 1934, remained on the board as Director and Senior Advisor and Jitsuichi Yasui as Chairman. Having started at the sales company and risen from General Manager of Sales, he was the first president to come from sales.
Initiatives
During his tenure, products that would later become mainstays were launched one after another. The company began selling CNC tapping centers in March 1985, started OEM supply of thermal fax machines in March 1987, and that August moved into producing monochrome laser printers with its own controllers. In November 1988 it released a label writer applying thermal transfer technology. These products, which turned machining skills accumulated for sewing machines toward office equipment, would underpin the later shift to information and communications equipment.
Career
Career
Buraza Sewing Machine Sales
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Oct 1946 | Joined |
Brother Industries
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Jun 1954 | Joined |
| Dec 1960 | General Manager, Sales Department |
| Jul 1969 | Director |
| Jan 1975 | Managing Director |
| Feb 1977 | Senior Managing Director |
| Feb 1981 | President |