Shigeji Hirai
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Ehime Prefecture in 1916, he graduated from the Faculty of Engineering of Kyoto Imperial University in March 1941. He joined Shikoku Haiden in May 1947 and received a doctorate in engineering in 1961. He became general manager of the Planning Department in July 1966, a Director in May 1968 and Managing Director in June 1969, and Executive Vice President in November 1974. As Executive Vice President he headed the Siting and Environment Headquarters, in charge of power station siting.
Selection
In June 1980 he succeeded Tsunenori Yamaguchi as President, with Yamaguchi stepping back to Chairman; Hirai was promoted after five and a half years as Executive Vice President. He was the first President with an engineering degree since Takema Miyakawa, the first President at the company's 1951 launch and a graduate of the electrical department of Tokyo Higher Technical School, and his appointment followed three successive Presidents from law and commerce backgrounds starting with Koreyoshi Nakagawa. As Executive Vice President he had been in charge of the Siting and Environment Headquarters, and he rose to President while construction of Ikata Unit 2 was under way.
Initiatives
After he took office, a second nuclear unit and pumped-storage hydro came online. Unit 2 of the Ikata Power Station (566,000 kW) entered commercial operation in March 1982, and Unit 1 of the Hongawa Power Station (pumped-storage hydro, 300,000 kW) in June that year. In the executive lineup, while keeping Yoshio Tanaka, from the Science and Technology Agency and concurrently head of the Nuclear Power Headquarters, as Executive Vice President, he promoted Masaaki Tomita to Executive Vice President in June 1981 as head of the Siting and Environment Headquarters, dividing nuclear power and siting between two Executive Vice Presidents. The increase in the nuclear share appears to have proceeded under this division of roles.
Career
Career
Shikoku Electric Power
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| May 1947 | Joined Shikoku Electric Distribution |
| Jul 1966 | General Manager, Planning Department |
| May 1968 | Director |
| Jun 1969 | Managing Director |
| Nov 1974 | Executive Vice President |
| Jun 1980 | President |