Suntory Beverage & Food appoints Josuke Kimura as new President and CEO
Veteran marketer Kimura to replace Ono as Suntory accelerates innovation following Niinami’s exit.
JAPAN – Suntory Beverage & Food has announced Josuke Kimura as its next representative director, president, and chief executive officer, succeeding Makiko Ono.
The appointment will be formalised after the annual shareholders’ meeting in late March and a subsequent board meeting.
Ono will transition to director and senior managing executive officer at parent company Suntory Holdings, a position currently occupied by Kimura.
The company described the leadership change as a step to drive sustainable growth through enhanced innovation and transformation.
Kimura, a 42-year veteran of the Suntory group, joined in 1983. He has previously served as senior general manager of marketing and chief executive of the Japan business division.
Alongside Kimura’s appointment, Suntory Beverage & Food proposed Naoto Okinaka, currently senior managing executive officer, for the role of director and senior managing executive officer.
Sho Senba, senior managing executive officer at Suntory Holdings, has also been nominated as a new director. Existing directors Maki Nakamura and Hideki Kanda will continue in their roles, while Hachiro Naiki, Peter Harding, and Toru Miyanaga are set to retire from the board.
The reshuffle follows the September departure of Suntory Holdings chief executive Takeshi Niinami, who stepped down after more than ten years in the role amid a police investigation into his alleged purchase of potentially illegal dietary supplements.
Suntory Holdings stated that Niinami’s actions showed insufficient awareness regarding supplement regulations, making it inappropriate for him to continue as representative director, chairman, and CEO.
The group confirmed that no replacement will be named for Niinami, with president Nobuhiro Torii assuming ongoing leadership responsibilities at Suntory Holdings.
The changes signal a new phase for Suntory Beverage & Food as the company seeks to strengthen its competitive position in the global beverages market.
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