Shiseido Names New President

Shiseido Co. Ltd. has appointed Masahiko Uotani as its new president. He will replace Shinzo Maeda on April 1, 2014.

Uotani is 59 years old, and currently Shiseido’s chief executive partner (representative director) of BrandVision Inc. and outside chief marketing advisor of the company. Prior, he was president and chairman of Coca-Cola Japan Co. Ltd.

Maeda will be Shiseido’s chairman (representative director) starting April 1, 2014, then retire from that role to become senior advisor of the company at the firm’s ordinary general meeting of shareholders at the end of June, when Uotani will be appointed representative director.

Shiseido says its strategy will help the company to recover a growth potential and profitability, in order to become a “global player representing Asia with its origins in Japan.” The company credits Maeda for having “paved the way for Shiseido’s future growth.”