Hiroshi Yasukawa
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Fukuoka in 1903, he graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at Tokyo Imperial University in March 1927. He became a Director of Yasukawa Electric Manufacturing in May 1936, then Chairman in February 1942 and President in February 1944. He held a doctorate in engineering. During his presidency the board list showed co-founder Daigoro Yasukawa as Chairman, a post he held from May 1958.
Selection
In February 1942 Daigoro Yasukawa resigned as President, and Hiroshi Yasukawa became Chairman the same month. He became President two years later, in February 1944, in the midst of the Pacific War, moving from Chairman to President in that order. Daigoro returned as a Director in November 1946 and became Chairman in March 1949, remaining on the board throughout Hiroshi's tenure.
Initiatives
The company listed its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in May 1949 and the Fukuoka Stock Exchange in June. In 1958 it invented the low-inertia Minertia motor, and in 1969 it coined the term mechatronics for the fusion of electrical and mechanical engineering. It set up the sales company Yaskawa Electric America in September 1967 and Yaskawa Engineering in May 1971. Sales grew from ¥0.6 billion in the fiscal year ended March 1949 to ¥22.0 billion in the FY ended March 1968.
Career
Career
Yaskawa Electric
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1949 | President |
| 1971 | Stepped down as President |