Sumitomo Heavy Industries announces leadership succession, strategic overhaul

Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced extensive leadership transfers, including new representative directors, executive officer appointments, and retirements, effective January 1, 2026. Shinji Shimomura will transition from representative director, president and chief executive to representative director, chairman of the board. Toshiro Watanabe, currently director, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will become representative director, president and chief executive. Tatsuro Araki, presently director, executive vice president, will assume the role of representative director, senior executive vice president. These changes align with a new board structure effective January 1, 2026.

Concurrently, the company is implementing significant organizational changes from January 1, 2026, by abolishing its division-based structure within existing segments to establish strategic business units (SBUs). This restructuring aims to enhance competitiveness, reinforce synergies, optimize its business portfolio through targeted investments in growth areas, and accelerate future business growth. The Mechatronics, Industrial Machinery, Logistics & Construction, and Energy & Lifeline Segments will each see the creation of new SBUs.

Additionally, the head office will undergo restructuring, with the corporate planning group becoming the corporate global strategy group and the establishment of a new semiconductor business development department. Several executive officers are also scheduled to retire by December 31, 2025, and late March 2026, including Tetsuya Okamura and Eiji Kojima, who will continue as full-time advisors. The company also announced candidates for election as directors and corporate auditor in late March 2026.