NEWS 011 : NEW CEO & BOARD APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED
Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation has announced changes to its Board and Executive team for immediate effect.
name - new assignment (former assignment)
- Tomokazu Okamoto - Director & Chief Executive Officer (Managing Director)
- Katsuhiko Ochi - Senior Executive Managing Director (Managing Director)
- Tetsuo Mitsui - Director & General Manager, Design Dept. (Director & General Manager, Design Dept. No.1)
- Masahiko Ueda - Director & General Manager, General Affairs Dept. (Director & General Manager, Accounting Dept.)
- Masakazu Taki - Director & General Manager, Quality Assurance Dept. (Director & General Manager, Design Dept. No.2)
- Kunji Irahara - Advisor (Director & Chief Executive Officer)
From Left to Right : M. Taki, Director - T. Mitsui, Director - T. Okamoto, CEO - M. Ueda, Director - K. Ochi, Senior Executive Managing Director
Tomokazu Okamoto, former Managing Director, is appointed as Chief Executive Officer. Born in 1942 at Fukuoka, Okamoto is a graduate of Kagoshima University. After working as engineer at Hayashikane Shipbuilding Co., he joined Kyokuyo in 1988. Since then, Okamoto has much contributed to Kyokuyo's technical improvement as leader of technical team (1988-) and manufacturing team (1998-).
Greetings from Okamoto, new CEO
Hello, I am Tomokazu Okamoto, new CEO of Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation. While I fully recognize that it is not an easy job to take over the position of Mr. Irahara, who has been leading Kyokuyo for as long as 21 years with his uncommon abilities, I will, as CEO of the company, devote all of my endeavors to ensure our continued development in the shipbuilding market with a solid determination, as my predecessor just did.
Fortunately, the technical capabilities and the financial standing of KSC are today much improved under direction of Mr. Irahara, in comparison with those of 1988, when I joined the company. However, we are not allowed to stay our steps. In the light of even harder competitions with shipbuilders across the world, I will focus on the following policies with a certain sense of crisis always in my mind :
- Strategic investment to reinforce our technical capabilities especially in design area, and start a marketing campaign emphasizing them.
- Encouragement of every technical innovation for better compatibility between product quality and price competitiveness.
- Do not hesitate to slash away the bloated organizations, and put an end to the traditional seniority-based salary system, and
- Aim an even opener company and encourage constructive proposals from our employees.
I demand our employees to share an awareness of the danger of losing our position in case we do not keep hardworking, but I strongly hope an open, yet positive atmosphere in my company. With an established nice combination with Mr. Ochi, who is going to head management teams as well as sales team as Senior Executive Managing Director from now on, I will spare no effort and try every possible challenge to make Kyokuyo better. Your continued supports will be highly appreciated.
Tomokazu Okamoto
