Takateru Koakimoto
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He graduated from Tohoku Imperial University's Faculty of Science in March 1936 and joined the company the same month, becoming head of the President's Office in August 1964 and a Director in May 1967. He was Director and head of the President's Office from March 1970, head of the Camera Division from May 1971 and also General Manager of Camera Design from November that year, holding both company-wide planning and the design floor of the core business. He became Managing Director in November 1973 and Executive Vice President in June 1977. He was born in Niigata Prefecture.
Selection
The 1979 and 1981 editions of the Japan Company Directory record that he became President in June 1978. His predecessor Kyojiro Iyanaga was an outsider from Mitsubishi Bank, and the presidency returned to a career employee with 42 years at the company. Those who sat alongside as Executive Vice Presidents in June 1979 were Shigetada Fukuoka, who led the Precision Equipment Division, and Hikoo Shinohara, head of the Camera Division, a lineup that elevated both equipment and cameras together with the executives in charge. In the fiscal year ended March 1978, before he took office, non-consolidated net sales were ¥74.6 billion and ordinary income ¥3.5 billion.
Initiatives
It was during his tenure that semiconductor lithography equipment got off the ground as a business. The company entered semiconductor manufacturing equipment in 1980, opening the door to a second pillar after cameras. Overseas, he personally served as President of Nikon Europe B.V. from August 1979 and as managing director of Nikon GmbH from September. Non-consolidated net sales grew from ¥74.6 billion in the fiscal year ended March 1978 to ¥135.2 billion in the FY ended March 1983, while ordinary income fell from ¥8.7 billion in the FY ended March 1982 to ¥5.0 billion.
Career
Career
Nippon Kogaku
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1936 | Joined |
| 1967 | Director, General Manager, Camera Division |
| 1973 | Managing Director |
| 1977 | Executive Vice President |
| 1979 | President |
| 1983 | Senior Advisor |
| Jun 1983 | Stepped down as President |