NGK Insulators announces leadership changes amid mixed financial outlook

** NGK Insulators (TSE:5333) has announced key leadership changes, with Hiroto Matsuda slated to become the new Representative Director, effective June 26, 2025. Jun Mori is set to be appointed as a new Director. The appointments follow the planned retirement of current directors Chiaki Niwa and Ryohei Iwasaki. Koji Hasegawa is to be the new Audit & Supervisory Board Member, after Nobumitsu Saji retires. In additional executive appointments, Yuka Sugiura and Mitsuo Takahashi will join the company's leadership. The company also announced financial results for FY2024, revealing a record-high in sales (JPY619.5 billion) and increases in both operating income (JPY81.2 billion) and net income attributable to owners of the parent (JPY54.9 billion). The upcoming fiscal year (FY2025), however, is projected to see sales climb slightly to JPY630 billion while operating and ordinary income dip to JPY75 billion and JPY70 billion, respectively, amid the strong yen and higher tariff costs. NGK is responding through "manufacturing ∞ (chain) innovation," with a focus on research and development, strategic alliances, and carbon neutrality initiatives. The company is targeting a dividend per share of JPY66 for FY2025, while investing in new business ventures. The business is also working toward "a company to contribute to carbon neutrality and a digital society with our unique ceramic technologies" as a medium-to-long term objective.