Shinobu Ichikawa
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He joined C. Itoh in 1919 and in September 1941 served as Senior Managing Director of Sanko, formed by the merger of Marubeni Shoten and C. Itoh. Both companies trace their roots to the itinerant linen trade begun in Osaka by Chubei Itoh I in 1858, and in 1918 C. Itoh and Marubeni Shoten were separated under Chubei Itoh II. Under the 1949 Elimination of Excessive Concentration of Economic Power Law, Daiken Sangyo was split into four companies, Marubeni, C. Itoh, Kureha Spinning and Amagasaki Seitei, and Ichikawa directly negotiated the division of the trading assets with Kosuge of C. Itoh.
Selection
In December 1949 he became the first President of Marubeni Co., Ltd., established as a second company of Daiken Sangyo. In the split negotiations, Marubeni ceded its cotton goodwill to C. Itoh and made a fresh start on the condition that it would handle goods other than cotton. In April 1950 it listed its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. His experience running the merged company as Senior Managing Director of Sanko appears to have led to the decision to entrust him with Marubeni after the split.
Initiatives
In February 1955 the company absorbed Takashimaya Iida, taking in its trading rights in wool and in machinery and metals, and in September of that year changed its name to Marubeni-Iida. In 1956 it set out to break away from an earnings structure in which textiles accounted for two-thirds of sales. In the first half of 1961 non-textile sales were ¥170.0 billion at Marubeni against ¥130.6 billion at C. Itoh, a gap of ¥40.0 billion. In the fiscal year ended March 1963 revenue was ¥764.0 billion and ordinary income ¥3.1 billion.
Career
Career
Itochu
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1919 | 神戸高等商業学校を卒業し伊藤忠商事に入社 (translation pending) |
| Sep 1941 | 三興（丸紅商店と伊藤忠商事の合併会社）専務 (translation pending) |
Marubeni
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Dec 1949 | President |
| Sep 1955 | Merged with Takashimaya Iida, Marubeni Iida |
| May 1964 | Chairman |
| May 1964 | Stepped down as President |