Takeo Murakami
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1919, he graduated from Kobe University of Commerce in 1942 and joined Tokyo Gas in September of that year. He also became a Director of Tokyo Liquefied Gas Carrier in May 1966, then General Manager of the Materials Department in September 1968 and Director and General Manager of the Materials Department in September 1969. He became Managing Director in March 1971, Senior Managing Director in September 1972, and Executive Vice President in September 1973. His career ran through the materials side, handling the procurement and transport of feedstock.
Selection
In January 1976 he succeeded Katsutoshi Tsuru as President, six years and four months after joining the board in September 1969 and 33 years after joining the company. Serving alongside him as Executive Vice President was Ryo Inoue, who graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1941, served as Director-General of the Coal Bureau and the Public Utilities Bureau at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and joined in October 1970. It was a period, straddling the first oil crisis, when feedstock prices and sources moved to the center of management, and his background in procuring feedstock as head of the Materials Department appears to have been what was called for.
Initiatives
In April 1976 he introduced a district responsibility system that assigned staff to the 5.2 million customers served, combining appliance visits and day-to-day customer service under the same person. The calorific value conversion begun in 1972 continued throughout his tenure. By 1979, LNG accounted for 60% of the company's feedstock. In April 1980, in response to the second oil crisis, the company raised rates by an average of 46.0%.
Career
Career
Tokyo Gas
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Sep 1942 | Joined |
| 1968 | General Manager, Materials Department |
| Sep 1969 | Director |
| Mar 1971 | Managing Director |
| Sep 1972 | Representative Director, Senior Managing Officer |
| Sep 1973 | Executive Vice President |
| Jan 1976 | President |
| Jul 1981 | Stepped down as President |