Japan-based advanced materials and PCB-related supplier Nitto Denko Corporation (TYO:6988), announced on December 25, 2025 that its board of directors approved a change in representative directors, marking the company's first presidential transition in 12 years.

Under the new structure, current President, CEO and COO Hideo Takasaki, age 72, will become representative director, chairman and CEO, while Tatsuya Akagi, currently a director and senior managing executive officer, will be promoted to representative director, president and COO effective April 1, 2026. The leadership change comes as Nitto Denko approaches the final year of its current mid-term management plan, Nitto for Everyone 2025, and prepares to launch a new plan starting in fiscal year 2026.

Speaking at a press conference on December 25, Akagi said he aims to successfully execute the next mid-term plan, scheduled to be announced in May 2026, while laying the foundation for growth strategies beyond 2030. He added that strengthening marketing capabilities will be one of the plan's key priorities.

Tatsuya Akagi (right), senior managing executive officer and next president of Nitto Denko, speaks at a press conference on December 25 in Tokyo.

Born on November 19, 1970, Akagi joined Nitto Denko in April 1993 and has spent most of his career in the company's optical and functional materials businesses, including polarizing films and other products closely linked to advanced electronics and PCB-related applications. He has held senior leadership roles across the group, including executive positions at the company's Taiwan subsidiary, and has been credited with expanding market share in highly cyclical segments. Akagi said Nitto Denko will continue its "niche top" strategy, focusing on high-value-added products with limited competition, including materials for advanced packaging and high-performance PCBs.

Takasaki, who became president in 2014, led management reforms centered on ESG principles and oversaw significant business expansion. Under his tenure, Nitto Denko's revenue exceeded one trillion yen for the first time in the fiscal year ended March 2025. Takasaki said the company's growing scale made it increasingly difficult for one person to serve simultaneously as CEO and COO, adding that he will focus on strengthening management foundations while Akagi concentrates on business execution, with the two working closely during the transition period.

From left: Hideharu Maro and Satoshi Oya

In a related move within Japan's electronics and PCB-related industry, Tokyo-based printing and electronics group TOPPAN Holdings Inc.(TYO:6988) announced on December 11, 2025 that Satoshi Oya, currently representative director, senior executive officer and COO, will be promoted to representative director, president and COO effective April 1, 2026. Current President and CEO Hideharu Maro, age 69, will transition to representative director, chairman and CEO, marking TOPPAN Holdings' first presidential change in seven years.

TOPPAN Holdings said the leadership change is aligned with its upcoming mid-term management plan, which will begin in the fiscal year ending March 2027. Under the new structure, the group plans to integrate its core businesses under a business unit framework, advance structural reforms, and strengthen its electronics-related operations while accelerating its transformation into a more globally competitive enterprise.