Akira Takahashi
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Tokyo in 1897, he graduated from the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Economics in 1923. He joined Nippon Life Insurance in January 1929, and moved to Olympus Optical in November 1948, brought in as a standing corporate auditor. He became Representative Director and Managing Director in May 1950 and Executive Vice President in January 1951. He came up not through microscope or camera technology but through finance, spent entirely at a life insurer.
Selection
In June 1953, Shokichi Kanda stepped back to Chairman and Takahashi became President. Kanda was an executive sent in from Ataka Shokai, and from October 1945 to November 1957 he also served as President of Ataka & Co. Takahashi too was an outsider who had come from Nippon Life Insurance, and less than five years passed from his joining to becoming President. Postwar Olympus Optical thus brought in its top executives in succession from outside affiliations, a trading house and a life insurer.
Initiatives
In May 1955 the company took part in the management of Takachiho Shokai, strengthening domestic camera sales. In February 1960 it reorganized into business divisions, placing a Managing Director in charge of each of the First Business Division, Second Business Division, Research Division and Operations Division. In October that year it began manufacturing measuring instruments. Non-consolidated net sales grew from ¥1.56 billion in the fiscal year ended October 1959 to ¥2.86 billion in the FY ended October 1961, his last year as President, and net income rose from ¥128 million to ¥180 million.
Career
Career
Olympus
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1952 | Representative Director, President |
| 1961 | Stepped down as President |