Tsunenori Yamaguchi
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Ehime Prefecture in 1908, he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Kyoto Imperial University in 1933. He joined Kawasaki Goshi that year and moved to Iyo Railway Electric in April 1936, whose business passed to Shikoku Haiden in 1942. After the launch of Shikoku Electric Power in 1951 he built his career in labor relations, as deputy general manager of the Labor Department, deputy general manager of the General Affairs Department in 1952 and general manager of the Labor Department in 1955, and became a general manager in 1960. He rose to Director in November 1961, head of the General Planning Office in 1962, Managing Director in November 1964 and Executive Vice President in November 1966.
Selection
In May 1974 he succeeded Saburo Ouchi as President, with Ouchi stepping back to Chairman; Yamaguchi was promoted after seven and a half years as Executive Vice President. The first oil crisis had struck in October 1973, the year before, with crude oil prices roughly quadrupling in three months, and with a generation mix heavily reliant on heavy oil, profits fell in the fiscal year ended March 1974. He was appointed from administration, having gone from head of the Labor Department to head of the General Planning Office, making him the third successive President since Mochinaga Nakagawa who had not come up through engineering.
Initiatives
During his tenure nuclear power came online. In September 1977 Unit 1 of the Ikata Power Station entered commercial operation, becoming Shikoku Electric's first nuclear power source. The construction site had been set in Ikata in September 1970 under his predecessor, and he carried the project from construction to the start of operation as President. In June 1979 he made Yoshio Tanaka, brought in from the Science and Technology Agency, Executive Vice President while keeping him as head of the Nuclear Power Headquarters, cementing the structure responsible for nuclear power at the executive level. He became Chairman in June 1980.
Career
Career
Shikoku Electric Power
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1936 | 伊予鉄道電気 入社 (translation pending) |
| 1951 | Deputy General Manager, Labor Relations Department |
| 1952 | Deputy General Manager, General Affairs Department |
| 1955 | General Manager, Labor Relations Department |
| 1960 | General Manager |
| Nov 1961 | Director |
| 1962 | Director, General Manager, Corporate Planning Office |
| Nov 1964 | Managing Director |
| Nov 1966 | Executive Vice President |
| May 1974 | President |
| Jun 1980 | Chairman |