Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
January 31, 2018
Tokyo, January 31, 2018 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, "Hitachi") announced today that on April 1, 2018, it will strengthen its business structures as outlined below, to expand the Social Innovation Business, and to further evolve Hitachi into a true global company.
In order to achieve further growth in the Hitachi Group through the global expansion of the Social Innovation Business using digital technologies, Executive Vice President Keiichi Shiotsuka, who is the Head of the Systems & Services Business Division, will undertake a concurrent position as Head of the Social Innovation Business. Senior Vice President Yoshitaka Tsuda will act as Deputy Head of the Social Innovation Business. Both Executive Officers will collaborate with Front Business Units in supervising the creation of strategies for digital solutions business as well as approaching customers and securing new strategic projects. The goal of these new appointments is to promote the use of digital technologies in the Social Innovation Business, which combines Hitachi's strengths in Operational Technologies (OT), IT, and products, and to accelerate the delivery of digital solutions.
Mr. Hicham Abdessamad will continue to lead the expansion of the Social Innovation Business using digital technologies in the context of global business. On April 1, Mr. Abdessamad will be appointed CEO of Hitachi Global Digital Holdings Corporation*
, the holding company for Hitachi Vantara Corporation and Hitachi Consulting Corporation. In this capacity, he will lead the development and implementation of strategies to strengthen the global deployment of digital solutions using "Lumada."
New structure for the Global Expansion of the Social Innovation Business
Providing reliable products and services is an important mission for Hitachi in terms of expanding the Social Innovation Business as a platform that supports society. On April 1, Executive Vice President Hideaki Takahashi will be appointed Chief Transformation Officer (CTrO), to further strengthen the delivery of highly reliable products and services. He will leverage his experience in Hitachi Group's large-scale acquisitions and in promoting various reforms, including Group company reorganizations, as he leads activities in Monozukuri, quality assurance, and the Hitachi Smart Transformation Project. Vice President Kentaro Masai will undertake a position under the CTrO, promoting reforms in Monozukuri and quality assurance. Meanwhile, Senior Vice President Shinichiro Omori will work with CTrO Takahashi in promoting the Hitachi Smart Transformation Project, including Headquarters reforms. Based on this structure, Hitachi will continue to provide customers with products that guarantee both safety and quality.
Hitachi promotes diversity as part of its management strategies, and is creating new value and solutions to resolve issues faced by customers and society by appointing diverse talent on the Executive Officer level, including non-Japanese persons and those who came from outside of the Hitachi Group. Among the personnel changes announced today, Mr. Yoshihiko Kawamura, who joined Hitachi in 2015, will take over the responsibility for management strategies as Senior Vice President and CSO. Dr. Brice Koch, who joined Hitachi in 2017, will use his extensive experience in global business to lead operations as President & CEO of Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. In this way, by having various personnel apply their extensive experience in their respective fields to the operations on the Executive Officer level, Hitachi will create new value and solutions for customers and society, further expanding the Social Innovation Business.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2016 (ended March 31, 2017) totaled 9,162.2 billion yen ($81.8 billion). The Hitachi Group is a global leader in the Social Innovation Business, and it has approximately 304,000 employees worldwide. Through collaborative creation, Hitachi is providing solutions to customers in a broad range of sectors, including Power / Energy, Industry / Distribution / Water, Urban Development, and Finance / Government & Public / Healthcare. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.