Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has announced that Kohei Morikawa will resign as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to become Representative Director and Chairman of the Board of SDK, and Hidehito Takahashi, Representative Director, Managing Corporate Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager, Preparation Office for Group Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of SDK will succeed Kohei Morikawa, effective January 4, 2022.

Hidehito Takahashi is currently in charge of carbon and ceramics divisions, coating materials department, Yokohama and Shiojiri plants and corporate strategy department of SDK.

Through unification of the presidencies and generational changes in top management, SDK and SDMC aim to accelerate integration of the two companies and foster speedy management of the Showa Denko Group as a whole.

Hideo Ichikawa, who is currently Director, Chairman of the Board of SDK, will resign as Chairman of the Board on January 4, 2022. He will also resign as Director at the ordinary general meeting of shareholders