Hiromu Okabe
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He joined Nippondenso in 1960, became head of the Corporate Planning Office in 1987, a Director in 1989 and Managing Director in 1995, and President in June 1996. He was an executive who came up through planning rather than production or engineering. After stepping down as President he became Vice Chairman in 2003, Chairman in 2004 and Senior Advisor in June 2007.
Selection
In June 1996 he succeeded Tsuneo Ishimaru as President. Toyota Motor had asked all its suppliers to cut parts prices 15% by the end of 1996 and had presented Nippondenso with 20%. In the fiscal year ended March 1996, the year before, consolidated net sales were ¥1,442.6 billion and net income ¥49.8 billion. Parts makers were going independent one after another, with Delphi split from GM and Visteon from Ford. He appears to have been tasked with charting a path outside the keiretsu.
Initiatives
In October 1996 he renamed the company from Nippondenso to Denso, dropping "Nippon" from its name. As parts makers went independent one after another—Delphi from GM, Visteon from Ford—he sought self-reliance within a keiretsu in which Toyota's control was tightening. In February 2003 he established DENSO (CHINA) Investment Co., Ltd. as the holding company for China.
Career
Career
Nippondenso
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1960 | Joined |
| 1987 | General Manager, Corporate Planning Office |
| 1989 | Director |
| 1995 | Managing Officer |
| Jun 1996 | President |
| 2003 | Vice Chairman |
| Jun 2003 | Stepped down as President |
| 2004 | Chairman |
| Jun 2007 | Senior Advisor |