Executives

As of January 1, 2024

Directors

President and Representative Director Hitoshi Kawahara
Brief History
April 1984 Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd.
April 2006 Manager, Resin Sales Department, EVAL Division
April 2010 Manager, Planning and Administration Department, Resin Company
April 2013 Assistant General Manager, Poval Film Division, Vinyl Acetate Company
April 2014 General Manager, Poval Film Division, Vinyl Acetate Company
January 2016 Vice President of Vinyl Acetate Film Company
March 2016 Executive Officer
January 2018 President of Vinyl Acetate Resin Company
March 2018 Senior Executive Officer
March 2019 Director
January 2021 President and Representative Director (Current position)
Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer Keiji Taga Officer Responsible for Corporate Management Planning Office, Officer Responsible for Corporate Sustainability Division, Officer Responsible for DX-IT Division, and Officer Responsible for Accounting and Finance Division
Brief History
April 1984 Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd.
April 2012 Deputy General Manager, Purchasing and Logistics Division
April 2014 General Manager, Medical Division, Functional Materials Company
March 2017 Executive Officer
January 2018 Officer Responsible for Corporate Management Planning Office (Current position) and Officer Responsible for CSR Division
March 2018 Managing Executive Officer
April 2018 General Manager, Corporate Management Planning Office
March 2019 Director
January 2020 Officer Responsible for Administrative Unit
January 2022 Officer Responsible for Corporate Sustainability Division (Current position), Officer Responsible for Global Digital Transformation Office, and Officer Responsible for Accounting and Finance Division(Current position)
January 2023 Officer Responsible for DX-IT Division(Current position)
January 2024 Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer (Current position)
Chairman and Director Masaaki Ito Chairperson, Saijo Central Hospital
Brief History
April 1980 Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd.
August 2002 President, Nantong Kuraray Garment Co., Ltd.
April 2004 Manager of Corporate Management Planning Division, Kuraray Trading Co., Ltd.
April 2007 Manager of Kuralon and K-II Production and Technology Development Department, Okayama Plant
April 2010 General Manager of Methacrylate Division, Chemicals Company
June 2012 Executive Officer
April 2013 Vice President of Functional Materials Company and General Manager of Methacrylate Division, Functional Materials Company
June 2013 Managing Executive Officer
April 2014 Officer Responsible for Corporate Management Planning Division and CSR Division, General Manager of Corporate Management Planning Division
June 2014 Director
January 2015 Representative Director and President
January 2021 Chairman and Director (Current position)
April 2021 Chairperson, Saijo Central Hospital (Current position)
Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer Yoshimasa Sano President, Fibers and Textiles Company
Officer Responsible for Osaka Office
Brief History
April 1980 Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd.
July 2001 Manager of Sales Department, Fine Chemicals Division
April 2007 Manager of Chemicals Marketing & Sales Department, Isoprene Chemicals Division,
Chemicals and Medical Products Company
April 2010 General Manager of Elastomer Division, Chemicals Company
June 2012 Executive Officer
April 2014 General Manager of Methacrylate Division, Functional Materials Company
January 2016 Vice President, Functional Materials Company
March 2016 Director and Managing Executive Officer
January 2017 General Manager of Carbon Materials Division, Functional Materials Company
January 2018 President, Functional Materials Company
January 2020 President, Fibers and Textiles Company (Current position)
January 2020 Responsible for Osaka Office (Current position)
March 2020 Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer (Current position)
Director and Managing Executive Officer Matthias Gutweiler President, Kuraray Europe GmbH
Brief History
December 2001 Joined Kuraray Specialities Europe
January 2009 President, Kuraray Europe GmbH (Current position), Executive Officer, Kuraray Co., Ltd.
April 2013 General Manager of PVB Division, Vinyl Acetate Company
March 2018 Managing Executive Officer (Current position)
March 2020 Director (Current position)
Director and Managing Executive Officer Nobuhiko Takai President, Functional Materials Company
Brief History
April 1987 Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd.
April 2005 Manager of Global Operation Department, Poval Resin Company, Specialty Resin and Film Sector
April 2009 Manager of Business Planning Department, Poval Resin Division, Specialty Resin and Film Company
April 2012 Deputy General Manager of Genestar Division, Chemicals Company
April 2014 General Manager of Genestar Division, Isoprene Company
March 2016 Executive Officer
January 2019 Vice President, Functional Materials Company, General Manager of Carbon Material Division, Functional Materials Company
March 2019 Managing Executive Officer (Current position)
January 2020 President, Functional Materials Company (Current position)
March 2020 Director (Current position)
Director and Executive Officer Hiroaya Hayase Assistant to the President
Brief History
April 1980 Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd.
April 2007 Manager of Technology Planning and Administration Department, Technology Division
April 2008 Deputy General Manager of Technology Division
April 2010 General Manager of Technology Division, Technology and Development Unit
April 2012 General Manager of Poval Resin Division, Resin Company
June 2012 Executive Officer
April 2013 General Manager of Poval Resin Division and General Manager of Production and Technology Management Division, Vinyl Acetate Company
April 2014 General Manager of International Business Planning Division, Vinyl Acetate Company
June 2014 Managing Executive Officer
January 2015 President, Vinyl Acetate Film Company
March 2015 Director
January 2016 President, Vinyl Acetate Resin Company
March 2016 Senior Managing Executive Officer
March 2020 Representative Director
January 2021 Executive Supervisor, Vinyl Acetate Resin Company
Executive Supervisor, Vinyl Acetate Film Company
January 2022 President, Vinyl Acetate Film Company
January 2024 Director and Executive Officer (Current position), Assistant to the President (Current position)
Director Jun Hamano1 President, Ohara Memorial Institute for Science of Labour
Representative Director and Chairperson, Ohara Memorial HealthCare Foundation
Brief History
April 1974 Entered Economic Planning Agency of Japan (EPA)
July 1999 Director, Minister’s Secretariat Division, EPA
January 2001 Director, Personnel Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Cabinet Office
January 2002 Deputy Director General for Economic and Fiscal Management, Cabinet Office
July 2004 Director General for Economic and Fiscal Management, Cabinet Office
July 2006 Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, Cabinet Office
July 2008 Deputy Vice-Minister, Cabinet Office
July 2009 Vice-Minister, Cabinet Office
January 2012 Advisor, Cabinet Office
April 2013 Executive Advisor, Dentsu Inc.
June 2014 Director, Ohara Memorial Healthcare Foundation
June 2015 President, Ohara Memorial Institute for Science of Labour (Current position)
March 2016 Director, Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Current position)
April 2020 Representative Director and Vice Chairperson, Ohara Memorial HealthCare Foundation
June 2021 Representative Director and Chairperson, Ohara Memorial HealthCare Foundation(Current position)
Director Keiko Murata1 Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Rissho University
Brief History
April 1986 Entered Economic Planning Agency of Japan (EPA)
August 2005 Director for Overseas Economies, Directorate General for Economic Research, Cabinet Office
August 2006 Director for International Affairs, Secretariat of the Science Council of Japan, Cabinet Office
July 2008 Professor, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
May 2015 Advisor to the President, Tokyo Metropolitan University
July 2017 Trustee, Nippon Life Insurance Company (Current position)
April 2018 Professor, Graduate School of Management, Tokyo Metropolitan University
March 2020 Director, Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Current position)
April 2022 Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Metropolitan University (Current position)
Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Rissho University (Current position)
Director Satoshi Tanaka1 Independent Director, IHH Healthcare Berhad
Representative Director Executive Vice President & Executive Officer , Sekisui House, Ltd.
Brief History
April 1981 Joined Mitsui & Co.
April 2011 Managing Officer, Mitsui & Co.
April 2013 Executive Managing Officer, Mitsui & Co.
April 2015 Senior Executive Managing Officer, COO of Asia Pacific Business Unit, Mitsui & Co.
April 2017 Executive Vice President and CAO; CIO; CPO, MITSUI & CO., LTD.
June 2017 Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Mitsui & Co.
April 2019 Director, Mitsui & Co.
June 2019 Counselor, Mitsui & Co.
March 2020 Director, Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Current position)
April 2020 Outside Director, Sekisui House, Ltd.
January 2021 Independent Director, IHH Healthcare Berhad (Current position)
April 2021 Representative Director, Executive Vice President & Executive Officer, Sekisui House, Ltd.(Current position)
Director Kiyoto Ido1 Director(Outside), Japan Investment Adviser Co., Ltd.
Brief History
April 1973 Entered the Ministry of Finance (MOF)
March 1980 Consul, Consulate-General of Japan, Frankfurt in Germany
July 1989 Deputy General Manager, Finance Dept., Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C.
July 1998 Deputy Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, MOF
Deputy Director-General, International Bureau, MOF
June 1999 Minister, Embassy of Japan, Washington, D.C
July 2002 Deputy Director-General, International Bureau, MOF
July 2004 Director-General, International Bureau, MOF
August 2006 Executive Director, Bank of Japan
April 2011 Vice Chairman, Institute for International Economic Studies (Current position)
June 2014 Outside Member of the Board of Directors, Nidec Corporation
March 2021 Director, Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Current position)
Director(Outside), Japan Investment Adviser Co., Ltd.(Current position)

Members of Audit & Supervisory Board

Full-time Member of Audit & Supervisory Board Kazuhiro Nakayama
Brief History
Apr 1980 Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd.
Apr 2006 Manager, Technology Planning and Administration Department, Environmental, Industrial Safety and Technology Division
Apr 2008 General Manager, Technology Development Center, Technology Division
Apr 2012 General Manager, Kurashiki Plant
Jun 2012 Executive Officer
Apr 2013 General Manager, Overseas Business, Vinyl Acetate Company
Apr 2014 General Manager, Technology Division
Jan 2016 Officer Responsible for Technology Division; Officer Responsible for Plants in Japan; Officer Responsible for Environmental Business Development and Promotion Division
Mar 2016 Director and Managing Executive Officer
Jan 2018 Officer Responsible for Environmental and Industrial Safety Management Center
Jan 2020 Assistant to the President
Mar 2020 Member of Audit & Supervisory Board (Current position)
Full-time Member of Audit & Supervisory Board Naoya Uehara
Brief History
Apr 1982 Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd.
Apr 2009 Senior Manager, Corporate Control Department
Apr 2013 Vice General Manager, Corporate Management Planning Division
Jun 2014 Vice General Manager, GLS Division, Kuraray America, Inc.
Jan 2018 Vice President, Kuraray Europe GmbH
Mar 2020 Executive Officer, Kuraray Co., Ltd.
Jan 2021 Assistant to the President
Mar 2021 Member of Audit & Supervisory Board (Current position)
Member of Audit & Supervisory Board Mitsuhiro Nagahama 2 Outside Director, Azbil Co., Ltd.
Outside Director, NSK Ltd.
Brief History
Apr 1976 Entered The Fuji Bank Limited (the present Mizuho Bank, Ltd.)
Apr 2002 General Manager, Americas Non-Japanese Corporate Banking Division No. 2, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.
Mar 2003 Executive Officer and General Manager, Otemachi Corporate Banking Division No. 6 and No. 7, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.
Apr 2005 Managing Executive Officer in charge of corporate banking, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.
Mar 2006 Managing Executive Officer, Head of the Americas, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.
Apr 2010 Deputy President, Head of the Americas, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.
Apr 2013 Chairman of the Board, Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd.
Chairman of the Board, Mizuho Securities USA Inc.
Apr 2015 Senior Advisor, Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd.
Jun 2015 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, Azbil Co., Ltd.
Mar 2018 Member of Audit & Supervisory Board, Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Current position)
Mar 2019 Outside Director, Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd.
Jun 2019 Outside Director, Azbil Co., Ltd. (Current position)
Jun 2020 Outside Director, NSK Ltd. (Current position)
Member of Audit & Supervisory Board Tomomi Yatsu 2 Representative, Yatsu Law & Accounting Office
Outside Director, SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.
Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.
Brief History
Apr 1983 Entered Tokyo Electron Ltd.
Oct 1986 Entered Tohmatsu Awoki & Sanwa (the present Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC)
Sep 1990 Registered as a Certified Public Accountant
Oct 2001 Registered with Tokyo Bar Association
Entered Shin-Tokyo Sohgoh Law Office (later merged with Bingham Sakai Mimura Aizawa-Foreign Law Joint Enterprise)
Jun 2009 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, Calbee, Inc.
Jun 2010 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, Taiko Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Mar 2012 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, KOKUYO Co., Ltd.
Mar 2015 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
Apr 2015 Partner, TMI Associates
Jun 2016 Outside Director, SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. (Current position)
Jun 2017 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, IHI Corporation
Mar 2019 Member of Audit & Supervisory Board, Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Current position)
Mar 2021 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. (Current position)
Apr 2022 Representative, Yatsu Law & Accounting Office (Current position)
Member of Audit & Supervisory Board Kenji Komatsu 2 Director, Fujitsu Component Limited
Chairman and Representative Director, Longreach Business Partners Inc.
Brief History
Apr 1978 Entered Mitsubishi Corporation
Feb 1996 Entered GE International Inc.
Jul 2005 Representative Director and President, Ecolab Inc. (the present Ecolab GK)
Apr 2007 Ecolab Inc. Senior Vice President
Dec 2010 Senior Executive Officer, Sanden Corporation (the present SANDEN HOLDINGS CORPORATION)
Nov 2011 Entered Bain Capital Asia, LLC
Mar 2013 Director, President and CEO, BELLSYSTEM24, Inc.
Mar 2016 Director and Chairman, BELLSYSTEM24 Holdings, Inc.
Jun 2016 Advisor, COACH A Co., Ltd.
Dec 2018 Advisor, API Consultants CO., LTD.
Mar 2019 Member of Audit & Supervisory Board, Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Current position)
May 2020 Executive Vice President, Fujitsu Component Limited
Oct 2022 Director, Fujitsu Component Limited
Jan 2023 Chairman and Representative Director, Longreach Business Partners Inc. (Current position)

Executive Officers

Managing Executive Officer Akira Omura Officer Responsible for Technology Division, Officer Responsible for Plants in Japan, and Officer Responsible for Environment and Industrial Safety Management Center
Managing Executive Officer Toshihiro Omatsu Officer Responsible for Innovation Networking Center, Officer Responsible for Research and Development Division, and Officer Responsible for IP Management Center
Managing Executive Officer Toshinori Tsugaru Assistant to the President
Managing Executive Officer Satoru Fujinami Officer Responsible for General Affairs and HR Division, Officer Responsible for Confidential Information Management, and Officer Responsible for Purchasing and Logistics Division
Managing Executive Officer Tomoyuki Watanabe President of Vinyl Acetate Resin Company and President of Vinyl Acetate Film Company
Officer Responsible for Electronics Materials Promotion Division
Executive Officer Stephen Cox General Manager of Advanced Interlayer Solutions Division
Executive Officer Koichi Takano General Manager of Purchasing and Logistics Division
Executive Officer Takaharu Kawahara President, Kuraray America, Inc.
Executive Officer Fuyuo Ueyama General Manager of Poval Film Division
Executive Officer Stevan R. Schott General Manager of Environmental Solutions Division and Calgon Carbon Corporation President
Executive Officer Yoji Ikemori President of Isoprene Company and General Manager of Genestar Division
Executive Officer Kazushige Sakamoto General Manager of Okayama Plant
Executive Officer Koichi Daifuku General Manager of Electronics Materials Promotion Division
Executive Officer Junichi Fujiwara General Manager of Corporate Management Planning Office
Executive Officer Hideo Ohi General Manager of Corporate Auditing Division
Executive Officer Hiroyuki Shimo General Manager of EVAL Division
Executive Officer Yoshinobu Nakamura General Manager of Methacrylate Division
Executive Officer Akiko Ide General Manager of Corporate Sustainability Division
Executive Officer Nobuyoshi Takai General Manager of Fibers and Industrial Materials Division
Executive Officer Christian Herrmanns General Manager of MonoSol Division and MonoSol President
Executive Officer Stanley Fukuyama General Manager of DX-IT Division

1. Directors Jun Hamano, Keiko Murata, Satoshi Tanaka, and Kiyoto Ido are Outside Directors.

2. Members of Audit & Supervisory Board Mitsuhiro Nagahama, Tomomi Yatsu, and Kenji Komatsu are outside Members of Audit & Supervisory Board.