Go to the main content of this page

Directors and Executive Members

Director

  • Yuichiro Haruyama
    Yuichiro Haruyama
    Representative Director, President and CEO
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: December 19, 1969

    April 1993Joined SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    December 2019Senior Strategic Officer, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. (currently Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.)
    February 2020EVP, Finance & Corporate Strategy, Sumitovant Biopharma, Inc. (currently Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.) 
    April 2021Chief Financial Officer, Sumitovant Biopharma, Inc. (currently Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.)
    September 2022Exective Fellow, In Charge of Finance, J-OIL MILLS, Inc
    June 2023Exective Officer, J-OIL MILLS, Inc.
    July 2023Executive Officer, CFO, In Charge of Finance and Corporate Strategy & Management and General Manager, Corporate Strategy & Management Department, J-OIL MILLS, Inc. 
    June 2024Executive Officer, Vice President & CSO, In Charge of Corporate Strategy & Management, J-OIL MILLS, Inc.
    April 2025President & CEO, J-OIL MILLS, Inc. (to present)
    June 2025 Representative Director, J-OIL MILLS, Inc. (to present)

    Reason for nomination

    He has been engaged in corporate management as well as involved in finance and corporate strategy at the SUMITOMO CHEMICAL group, centered on Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., and has abundant experience and insights related to finance, etc. and corporate management. By leveraging these factors, he is expected to take a role of making important decisions and supervising business execution as Director, and therefore the Company appointed him as a candidate for Director.

  • Kazuya Kondo
    Kazuya Kondo
    Director, Executive Officer, Executive Vice Pesident & CTO 
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: March 5, 1968

    April 1993Joined Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    July 2008General Manager, Technology Department, Technology and Engineering Center, Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. (Thailand)
    July 2011Plant Manager, Kamphaeng Phet Ⅱ Plant, Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. (Thailand)
    July 2014General Manager, Technology Department, Production & Technology Administration Center, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    July 2019Vice president, Ajinomoto do Brasil Indūstria e Comērcio de Alimentos Ltda. (in charge of Production, Technology Management & DX)
    July 2023Executive Officer, In Charge of Research & Development and General Manager, R&D Center, J-OIL MILLS, Inc.
    April 2025Executive Officer, Executive Vice President & CTO and General Manager, R&D Strategy Department, J-OIL MILLS, Inc. (to present)
    June 2025 Director, J-OIL MILLS, Inc. (to present)

    Reason for nomination

    He has been involved in food manufacture and technology development both in Japan and overseas at Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and has abundant experience and insights related to food business and overseas business. By leveraging these factors, he is expected to take a role of making important decisions and supervising business execution as Director, and therefore the Company appointed him as a candidate for Director.

  • Tatsuya Sasaki Sasaki
    Tatsuya Sasaki
    Outside Director 
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: June 25, 1963

    April 1986Joined Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    January 2011General Manager, Nutrition Care Department, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    July 2013General Manager, Corporate Planning Department, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    June 2017Executive Officer, Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd.
    June 2019Corporate Vice President, Ajinomoto Co., Inc
    July 2019General Manager, Latin America Division, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and President, Ajinomoto do Brasil Indústria e Comércio de Alimentos Ltda.
    June 2021Executive Officer & Vice President, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    April 2022Executive Officer & Senior Vice President, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    April 2022General Manager, Global Corporate Division and Corporate Service Division, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    June 2022Member of the Board, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (to present)
    June 2022Member of the Board(Outside Director), J-OIL MILLS, Inc. (to present)
    April 2023General Manager, Corporate Division, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

    Reason for nomination

    Having been involved in food businesses, including overseas operations, at Ajinomoto Co., Inc., and possessing extensive experience and insights broadly related to the food business and corporate management, we have appointed him as Member of the Board(Outside Director) Member of the Board as he is expected to leverage these experiences to play a crucial role in important decision-making and Supervise business execution.

  • Yoshizato Kaku
    Kaku Yoshisato
    Outside Director 
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: April 28, 1967

    April 1991 Joined MITSUI & CO., LTD.
    May 2006 General Manager, Feed Grain Office, Feed and Livestock Department, Foods & Retail Business Unit, MITSUI & CO., LTD.
    July 2012 General Manager, Feed, Livestock and Fisheries Business Office, Grain Dept., Food Resources Business Unit, MITSUI & CO., LTD.
    January 2013 Assistant to CEO, Management Company Sodrugestvo Ltd
    October 2014 Assistant to General Manager, Grain Dept. 1, Food Business Unit, MITSUI & CO., LTD.
    January 2018 Officer, President & CEO, Multigrain S.A
    April 2019 General Manager of Oils & Fats, Staple Food Project Division, Food Business Unit, MITSUI & CO., LTD.
    June 2020 External Director, Starzen Co., Ltd. (to present)
    April 2021 General Manager, Livestock & Fisheries Project Division, Food Business Unit, MITSUI & CO., LTD.
    April 2024 Associate Officer, Assistant to General Manager, Food Business Unit, MITSUI & CO., LTD. (to present)
    June 2024 External Director, FEED ONE CO., LTD.  (to present)
    June 2024 Member of the Board(Outside Director), J-OIL MILLS, Inc. (to present)

    Significant concurrent positions

    Associate Officer, Assistant to General Manager, Food Business Unit, MITSUI & CO., LTD.
    External Director, Starzen Co., Ltd.
    External Director, FEED ONE CO., LTD.

    Reason for nomination

    He has been involved in businesses including overseas and food/food product businesses at MITSUI & CO., LTD., and has abundant experience and insights related to overseas business and food/food product business. By leveraging these factors, he is expected to take a role of making important decisions and supervising business execution as Director, and therefore the Company appointed him as Member of the Board.

    (Note) Starzen Co., Ltd. announced its employees had committed inappropriate transactions, including fictitious circular transactions during Mr. Kaku Yoshisato’s tenure as External Director at the company. He was not aware of the incident and was fulfilling his responsibilities by regularly offering proposals from the perspective of compliance with laws and regulations at Board of Directors meetings, etc. and, after the incident came to light, demanding structures be reinforced to support investigation and recurrence-prevention measures.

  • Akiko Ikeda
    Akiko Ikeda
    Member of the Board, Outside Director (Independent Director)
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: July 26, 1960

    April 1983 Joined The Daimaru, Inc. (currently Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store Co., Ltd.)
    April 2003 Joined Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd.  
    March 2011 Executive Officer, Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd.
    April 2016 Representative Director, President, Jolly-Pasta Co., Ltd. (Retired in March 2017)
    June 2017 Representative Director, President, COCO’S JAPAN CO., LTD. (Retired in September 2018)
    April 2019 Director, Okamoto Corporation (Retired in May 2023) 
    January 2023 Outside Director, Kura Sushi, Inc. (Retired in January 2024)
    June 2024 Outside Member of the Board, NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD. (to present) 
    June 2024 Member of the Board(Outside Director), J-OIL MILLS, Inc. (to present)
    June 2026 Outside Director, YAMAZEN CORPORATION (to present) 

    Significant concurrent positions

    Outside Member of the Board, NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.

    Reason for nomination

    She has been engaged in corporate management as well as involved in marketing and administrative operations at major companies in retail and restaurant operation, among others, and has abundant experience and insights related to marketing and corporate management. By leveraging these factors, she is expected to take a role of making important decisions and supervising business execution as Director, and therefore the Company appointed her as Director.

  • Eiji Ogawa
    Eiji Ogawa
    Member of the Board, Outside Director (Independent Director)
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: October 26, 1962

    April 1985 Joined Teijin Limited
    May 2013 General Manager, Finance and Investor Relations Department, Teijin Limited
    April 2015 General Manager, Planning & Control Division, Resin & Plastic Processing Business Unit, Teijin Limited
    April 2016 Teijin Group Corporate Officer, General Manager, Resin & Plastic Processing Business Unit, Teijin Limited
    April 2019 Teijin Group Corporate Officer, Chief Officer (Corporate Strategy), Teijin Limited
    June 2020 Corporate Officer, Member of the Board, Chief Officer (Corporate Strategy), Teijin Limited
    April 2021 Executive Officer, Member of the Board, Chief Officer (Corporate Strategy), Teijin Limited
    April 2022 Executive Officer, Member of the Board, President, Material Business of Teijin Group, Teijin Limited
    April 2023 Senior Executive Officer, Representative Director of the Board, CFO, Responsible for the Procurement and Logistics Division, Teijin Limited (Retired in June 2024)
    June 2024 Teijin Group Senior Executive Officer, Assistant to the President (Responsible for Special Project), Teijin Limited
    June 2026 大末建設株式会社 社外取締役(監査等委員)(現任)
    June 2026 Member of the Board(Outside Director), J-OIL MILLS, Inc. (to present)

    Reason for nomination

    He has been engaged in corporate management as well as involved in accounting, finance, and corporate strategies at Teijin Limited, and has abundant experience and insights related to corporate management. By leveraging these factors, he is expected to take a role of making important decisions and supervising business execution as Director, and therefore the Company nominated him as a candidate for Outside Director.

  • Noriya Yokota
    Noriya Yokota
    Member of the Board, Outside Director (Independent Director)
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: February 3, 1961

    April 1984 Joined Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. (currently Kirin Holdings Company, Limited)
    March 2014 Executive Officer, General Manager of Production & Quality Control Department, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.
    April 2015 Director of Group Personnel & General Affairs of Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd., and Executive Officer, General Manager of Personnel & General Affairs Department of Kirin Co., Ltd.
    March 2017 Senior Executive Officer, Director of Corporate Strategy of Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd., Director of the Board, Senior Executive Officer of Kirin Co., Ltd., and Director of the Board of Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. (currently Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.) (Retired in March 2022)
    March 2018 Director of the Board, Senior Executive Officer of Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd. (Retired in March 2023), Senior Executive Officer of Kirin Co., Ltd., and Director of the Board, Kirin Business System Co., Ltd.
    March 2022 Director of the Board, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.
    June 2023 Independent Director (Audit and Supervisory Committee Member), Inabata & Co., Ltd. (to present)
    January 2024 Senior Advisor, Newton Investment Partners, Inc. (currently Japan Activation Capital, Inc.) (to present)
    June 2026 Member of the Board(Outside Director), J-OIL MILLS, Inc. (to present)

    Significant concurrent positions

    Independent Director (Audit and Supervisory Committee Member), Inabata & Co., Ltd.
    Senior Advisor, Japan Activation Capital, Inc.

    Reason for nomination

    He has been engaged in corporate management as well as involved in manufacturing and technology development at Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd., and has abundant experience and insights related to corporate management. By leveraging these factors, he is expected to take a role of making important decisions and supervising business execution as Director, and therefore the Company nominated him as a candidate for Outside Director.

Audit and Supervisory Board Member

  • Masami Kashiwakura
    Masami Kashiwakura
    Audit and Supervisory Board Member(Standing)
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: August 23, 1963

    April 1986 Joined Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    July 2014 President, Ajinomoto Heartland, Inc.
    June 2017 Corporate Executive Officer, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    April 2018 President, Ajinomoto Animal Nutrition North America, Inc.
    June 2019 President, Ajinomoto Animal Nutrition Group, Inc.
    July 2021 President, AJINOMOTO FOODS EUROPE SAS, and Deputy General Manager, Europe & Africa Division, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    April 2022 AJINOMOTO EUROPE S.A.S.
    Executive Officer & Vice President, General Manager, Europe & Africa Division
    April 2024 Advisor, J-OIL MILLS, Inc.
    June 2024 Audit and Supervisory Board Member(Standing) of the Company (to present)

    Reason for nomination

    He has been involved in food business, as well as wide-ranging other businesses, mainly overseas at Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and has abundant experience and insights related to international business and corporate management. He is expected to provide objective monitoring and supervision of performance of duties by management personnel, and therefore the Company appointed him as Member of the Board.

  • Masaki Ueno
    Masaki Ueno
    Outside Audit and Supervisory Board Member (Independent Director)
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: May 20, 1961

    April 1986 Joined The Hokkaido Takushoku Bank, Ltd.  
    April 1998 Joined Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. (currently Kirin Holdings Company, Limited)
    March 2012 General Manager, Legal Affairs Department, Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
    January 2013 General Manager, Legal Affairs Department, Kirin Company, and Director in Charge of Group Legal Affairs, Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
    April 2015 Executive Officer, General Manager, Legal Affairs Department, Kirin Company, and Executive Officer, Director in Charge of Group Legal Affairs, Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
    April 2019 Executive Officer, General Manager, Legal Affairs Department, Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
    March 2020 Audit and Supervisory Board Member Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. (Retired in March 2024)
    June 2024 Outside Audit and Supervisory Board Member (Independent Director), J-OIL MILLS, Inc.(to present)

    Reason for nomination

    He has been involved in legal affairs operation at Kirin Holdings Company,Limited for many years and has served as fultime Audit & Supervisory Board Member of Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., and thus has abundant experience and insights related to compliance, corporate legal affairs and auditor practices. He is expected to provide objective monitoring and supervision of performance of duties by management personnel, and therefore the Company appointed him as Member of the Board.

  • Mariko Sugawara
    Mariko Sugawara
    Outside Audit and Supervisory Board Member (Independent Director)
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: April 13, 1966

    April 1994 Registered to lawyer (Tokyo Bar Association)
    April 1994 Joined OHHARA LAW OFFICE (to present)
    April 2005 Part-time lecturer, Meiji Gakuin University Graduate Law School
    April 2005 Part-time lecturer, Keio University Faculty of Law
    December 2023 Board Member, Sozei Soshou Gakkai (Japan Association of Tax Litigators) (to present)
    June 2024 External Director, Sanken Electric Co., Ltd. (to present)
    June 2025  Outside Audit and Supervisory Board Member (Independent Director), J-OIL MILLS, Inc.(to present)

    Significant concurrent positions

    Ohara Law Office(Lawyer)
    Director of The Japan Tax Litigation Association
    Member of the Board(Outside Director) Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.

    Reason for nomination

    He has specialized knowledge and abundant experience as an attorney and has been involved in corporate legal affairs for many years. Although he has never been involved in company management other than as Member of the Board(Outside Director), he has been appointed as Outside Audit and Supervisory Board Member (Independent Outside Director) since he is expected to objectively monitor and Supervise the execution of duties by management.

  • Masafumi Tanabu
    Masafumi Tanabu
    Outside Audit and Supervisory Board Member (Independent Director)
    Career Summary & Reason for nomination

    Date of birth: May 12, 1959

    October 1985 Joined Eiwa Audit Corp. (currently KPMG AZSA LLC)
    March 1989 Registered as a certified public accountant
    October 1999 Partner, Asahi & Co. (currently KPMG AZSA LLC)
    June 2021 Executive Officer, KPMG AZSA LLC
    July 2022 President, Tanabu Certified Public Accountant Office (to present)
    June 2025  Outside Audit and Supervisory Board Member (Independent Director), J-OIL MILLS, Inc.(to present)

    Significant concurrent positions

    President, Tanabu Certified Public Accountant Office (certified public accountant)

    Reason for nomination

    He has specialized knowledge and abundant experience as a certified public accountant. Although he has no prior involvement in corporate management, he has been appointed as Outside Audit and Supervisory Board Member (Independent Outside Director) since he is expected to provide objective auditing and Supervise of the business execution of management.

Executive Officer

  • Masayuki Matsumoto
    Executive Officer, Vice President & CCO
  • Koji Yamaguchi
    Executive Officer & CHRO
  • Kazumi Hataya
    Executive Officer
  • Atsuki Mizumoto
    Executive Officer
  • Kazushi Takahashi 
    Executive Officer
  • Takayuki Uchida
    Executive Officer & CFO
  • Makoto Uehara
    Executive Officer
  • Akihiko Nakabayashi
    Executive Officer
  • Akihito Kashihara
    Executive Officer
  • Ryo Sato
    Executive Officer
Return to the top of the page