Kao Corporation announces board and executive leadership changes

Kao Corporation is set to propose new director and audit & supervisory board member candidates at its 120th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in late March 2026. Shinji Okuyama, from a global IT company, has been nominated as a new outside director. Osamu Shinobe, an outside director and executive advisor for ANA HOLDINGS INC., will retire. Shuji Tamaki, representative director of Riscarre Research Co., Ltd. and a New York attorney, is nominated as a new outside audit & supervisory board member, replacing Nobuhiro Oka, who will retire.

The company also announced executive officer changes effective January 1, 2026, including several promotions and new appointments. Natsumi Hotta, previously senior executive officer, president of global consumer care - hygiene living care business, global, is promoted to managing executive officer, senior vice president of human capital strategy, global, and chairperson of the board, Kao America Inc. Daisuke Hamada and Tomoko Uchiyama are also promoted to senior executive officer within the chemical and global consumer care - cosmetics businesses, respectively.

Takatoshi Hatase and Rie Haraoka are newly elected senior executive officers, leading global consumer care in health beauty care and hygiene living care businesses, respectively. Hirofumi Kuwahara will become an executive officer and senior vice president of digital strategy, global. Several executive officers, including Yoshihiro Murakami, Hideaki Kubo, and Satoru Tanaka, are set to retire.