Executives
As of March 27, 2025
Directors
President and Representative Director
Hitoshi Kawahara
| 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 | Managing 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 Sustainability Division, Officer Responsible for General Affairs and HR Division, and Officer Responsible for Purchasing and Logistics Division
| 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 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 |
| January 2023 | Officer Responsible for DX-IT Division |
| January 2024 | Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer (Current position) |
| January 2025 | Officer Responsible for General Affairs and HR Division and Officer Responsible for Purchasing and Logistics Division (Current position) |
Chairman and Director
Masaaki Ito
Chairperson, Saijo Central Hospital
Outside Director, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
| 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) |
| June 2024 | Outside Director, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (Current position) |
Director and Managing Executive Officer
Matthias Gutweiler
President, Kuraray Europe GmbH
| March 1988 | Joined Hoechst AG |
|---|---|
| June 1996 | Plant Manager of Mowiol, Hoechst AG |
| December 2001 | Joined Kuraray Specialities Europe GmbH |
| January 2009 | Executive Officer, Kuraray Co., Ltd.,President, Kuraray Europe GmbH (Current position) |
| 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
| April 1984 | 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 and General Manager of Carbon Materials Division |
| March 2019 | Managing Executive Officer (Current position) |
| January 2020 | President, Functional Materials Company (Current position) |
| March 2020 | Director (Current position) |
Director and Managing Executive Officer
Tomoyuki Watanabe
President, Vinyl Acetate Resin Company
President, Vinyl Acetate Film Company
Officer Responsible for Electronics Materials Promotion Division
| April 1988 | Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| June 2006 | Manager, EVAL Research and Development Department, Kurashiki Plant |
| March 2009 | Manager, KURARISTER Production Department, Kurashiki Plant |
| April 2010 | President, EVAL Europe N.V. |
| January 2015 | General Manager, Poval Resin Division, Vinyl Acetate Resin Company, General Manager, International Business Planning Division, Vinyl Acetate Resin Company |
| January 2016 | Vice President, Vinyl Acetate Resin Company |
| March 2018 | Executive Officer |
| January 2021 | President, Vinyl Acetate Resin Company (Current position) |
| January 2023 | Officer Responsible for Electronics Materials Promotion Division (Current position) |
| March 2023 | Managing Executive Officer (Current position) |
| January 2024 | President, Vinyl Acetate Film Company (Current position) |
| March 2024 | Director (Current position) |
Director and Managing Executive Officer
Yoji Ikemori
President of Isoprene Company and General Manager of Genestar Division
| April 1986 | Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| January 2017 | General Manager of Methacrylate Division, Functional Materials Company |
| January 2019 | General Manager of Genestar Division, Isoprene Company (Current position) |
| March 2019 | Executive Officer |
| January 2024 | President of Isoprene Company (Current position) |
| March 2024 | Managing Executive Officer (Current position) |
| March 2025 | Director (Current position) |
Director
Keiko Murata1
Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Rissho University
| April 1986 | Joined 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.
| 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
Naoko Mikami1
Outside Director, Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Outside Director, Earth Corporation
| April 1983 | Joined Ajinomoto Co., Inc. |
|---|---|
| April 2007 | Visiting Professor, Musashino University |
| January 2010 | Joined C’BON COSMETICS Co., Ltd. |
| April 2010 | Plant Manager, Tochigi Factory, C’BON COSMETICS Co., Ltd. |
| June 2011 | Executive Officer, C’BON COSMETICS Co., Ltd. |
| June 2012 | Director and Executive Officer, C’BON COSMETICS Co., Ltd. |
| June 2017 | Director and Managing Executive Officer, C’BON COSMETICS Co., Ltd. |
| June 2019 | Representative Director and Vice President, C’BON COSMETICS Co.,Ltd. |
| June 2021 | Outside Director, Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd. (Current position) |
| March 2022 | Outside Director, Earth Corporation (Current position) |
| March 2024 | Director, Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Current position) |
Director
Toshifumi Mikayama1
Outside Corporate Auditor, Central Glass Co., Ltd.
Chairman of Kato Memorial Bioscience Foundation
Board member, WinHealth International Company Limited
| April 1983 | Joined Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. (the present Kirin Holdings Company, Limited) |
|---|---|
| September 2002 | General Manager of Pharmaceutical Research Laboratory, Pharmaceutical Division, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| March 2004 | General Manager of Planning Division, Pharmaceuticals Division, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| July 2007 | Director, Executive Officer, and Head of Research Division, Kirin Pharma Co., Ltd. |
| October 2008 | Executive Officer, Head of Research Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. (the present Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.) |
| April 2010 | Executive Officer, Director of Corporate Strategy & Planning Department, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. |
| March 2012 | Managing Executive Officer, Director of Overseas Business Department, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. |
| March 2014 | Director of the Board, Managing Executive Officer, Director of Overseas Business Department, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. |
| March 2018 | Director of the Board, Senior Managing Executive Officer Supervising Overseas Business, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. |
| March 2021 | Director of the Board, Executive Vice President Supervising Overseas Business, Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. |
| June 2023 | Outside Corporate Auditor, Central Glass Co., Ltd. (Current position) Chairman of Kato Memorial Bioscience Foundation (Current position) |
| July 2024 | Board member, WinHealth International Company Limited (Current position) |
| March 2025 | Director, Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Current position) |
Members of Audit & Supervisory Board
Full-time Member of Audit & Supervisory Board
Hiroaya Hayase
| 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, Assistant to the President |
| March 2024 | Member of Audit & Supervisory Board (Current position) |
Full-time Member of Audit & Supervisory Board
Hideo Ohi
| April 1982 | Joined Kuraray Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| April 2014 | General Manager of Accounting and Finance Division |
| January 2022 | General Manager of Corporate Auditing Division |
| March 2022 | Executive Officer |
| March 2025 | Member of Audit & Supervisory Board (Current position) |
Member of Audit & Supervisory Board
Mitsuhiro Nagahama 2
Outside Director, Azbil Corporation
Outside Director, Toshiba Tec Corporation
Chairperson, Japan Association of Retired Industrial Persons
| Apr 1976 | Joined 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 Corporation |
| 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 Corporation (Current position) |
| Jun 2020 | Outside Director, NSK Ltd. |
| Jun 2024 | Outside Director, Toshiba Tec Corporation (Current position) Chairperson, Japan Association of Retired Industrial Persons (Current position) |
Member of Audit & Supervisory Board
Tomomi Yatsu 2
Representative, Yatsu Law & Accounting Office
Outside Director, SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.
| Apr 1983 | Joined Tokyo Electron Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Oct 1986 | Joined Tohmatsu Awoki & Sanwa (the present Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC) |
| Sep 1990 | Registered as a Certified Public Accountant |
| Oct 2001 | Registered with Tokyo Bar Association Joined 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. |
| Apr 2022 | Representative, Yatsu Law & Accounting Office (Current position) |
Member of Audit & Supervisory Board
Kenji Komatsu 2
Chairman and Representative Director, Longreach Business Partners Inc.
Outside Director, Nippon Aqua Co., Ltd.
| Apr 1978 | Joined Mitsubishi Corporation |
|---|---|
| Feb 1996 | Joined 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 |
| Nov 2011 | Joined Bain Capital Asia, LLC |
| Mar 2013 | Director, President, 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 (the present FCL Components Limited) |
| Oct 2022 | Director, FCL Components Limited |
| Jan 2023 | Chairman and Representative Director, Longreach Business Partners Inc. (Current position) |
| Mar 2025 | Outside Director, Nippon Aqua Co., Ltd. (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
Kazushige Sakamoto
President, Fibers and Textiles Company
Responsible for Osaka Office
Managing Executive Officer
Junichi Fujiwara
Officer Responsible for Corporate Management Planning Office, Officer Responsible for DX-IT Division, Officer Responsible for Confidential Information Management, Officer Responsible for Accounting and Finance Division, and General Manager of Corporate Management Planning Office
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
General Manager of Kashima Plant
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
Koichi Daifuku
General Manager of Electronics Materials Promotion 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
Executive Officer
Satoshi Yamaguchi
General Manager of Medical Division and President of Kuraray Noritake Dental
Executive Officer
Noriaki Namba
General Manager of Corporate Auditing Division
Executive Officer
Kazunari Matsumoto
General Manager of Poval Resin Division
- Directors Keiko Murata, Satoshi Tanaka, Naoko Mikami and Toshifumi Mikayama are Outside Directors.
- Members of Audit & Supervisory Board Mitsuhiro Nagahama, Tomomi Yatsu, and Kenji Komatsu are outside Members of Audit & Supervisory Board.