SATO Holdings Corporation announced changes to its corporate leadership effective April 1, 2018 following a resolution at the Board of Directors’ meeting today. Ryutaro Kotaki was appointed President and CEO, replacing current President and CEO, Kaz Matsuyama. Also announced were candidates for Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members to be nominated for a resolution at the Annual Shareholders’ meeting slated for June 25, 2018.

Kaz Matsuyama will retire from the Director position and be appointed Executive Advisor following the closure of the Annual Shareholders’ meeting scheduled on June 25, 2018.

Kaz Matsuyama said: “Since taking the helm of President and CEO at SATO Holdings in October 2011, I have made every effort to globalize our business and maximize customer value under our vision of being the leader and most trusted company in the Auto-ID solutions industry worldwide. Upon broadly redefining ourselves as a company that bridges the last inch of customers’ last mile challenges by connecting data to objects and people, I have strived to make strategic partnerships and innovations to meet that end. We have made investments for sustainable growth around new opportunities such as our Materials business. At the same time, based on the belief that corporate values are inseparable from how we conduct business, I have endeavored to nurture talent across the Group.”

He continued, “Ryutaro Kotaki, current Executive Vice President and COO, who has been guiding the SATO Group in unison with me since 2016, has powerfully driven growth of our Japan business with Auto-ID solutions best suited for customers enabled by our on-site, hands-on approach, which we call Genbaryoku. As technical innovations around us rapidly affect the workplaces of our customers, this offers us huge opportunities to thrive under our core competence of Genbaryoku. It is at this point I have made the decision to hand over the helm. I firmly believe that Ryutaro, through his leadership, will take the SATO Group to new heights by leveraging on the success achieved in our Japan business to enhance synergies with our growth pillars of the Overseas and Materials businesses. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for all your wonderful support and friendship during my tenure, and hope you would kindly extend the same to my successor, Ryutaro Kotaki.”

Background of Yoichi Abe

Yoichi joined Mitsubishi Corporation in April 1980, serving as CFO of subsidiaries and as assistant to President. He has 14 years of professional experience overseas (six years in the USA, four in Australia and four in South Korea). In December 2013, he joined SATO Holdings Corporation as Head of the President’s Office and was appointed Executive Officer and CFO in April 2016.