SANTA ANA, Calif. (Feb. 17, 2016) — Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (YRC) has promoted two long-time company veterans to the most senior management positions at Yokohama Corp. of North America (YCNA) and Yokohama Tire Corp. (YTC), succeeding Takaharu Fushimi, who is returning to the parent company as managing corporate officer and head of tire overseas sales and marketing.
Shinichi Takimoto, 52, acting head of YRC's tire overseas sales and marketing division, takes over as CEO of YTC as well as CEO of Yokohama Tire Mexico S.r.l. de C.V., while Hideto Katsuragawa, a 32-year company veteran, becomes CEO of YCNA and Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc.
Messrs. Takimoto's and Katsuragawa's promotions are among several others YRC made involving personnel at Yokohama Rubber subsidiaries in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
Mr. Takimoto has held management positions in France and Germany during his career with Yokohama.
Mr. Katsuragawa has been president of the YRC tire business unit since January 2015 in addition to duties as a director and managing corporate officer. He will be based at YCNA headquarters in Santa Ana.
YCNA oversees all Yokohama-related operations in North America. Mr. Fushimi had been CEO of YCNA, Yokohama Tire Corp. and Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. since 2014.
Other changes include:
- Takayuki Hamaya, COO of YTC since 2012, named president of Yokohama Russia L.L.C., the Russian sales subsidiary of YRC in Liptesk, Russia;
- Tetsuya Kuze, a YRC board member and managing corporate officer, named vice president of YCNA and CEO of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi L.L.C. (YTMM), succeeding Tadaharu Yamamoto, who is returning to YRC as a corporate officer and head of tire business planning department after two years as president of YTMM; and
- Satoshi Miyata, manager, accounting and investor relations, was named executive vice president and CFO for YCNA, succeeding Naoki Takeda, who's returning to YRC for a leadership position to be announced, after two years at YTC. Mr. Miyata was chief financial officer and treasurer for YTC in the mid-2000s.