New York, NY – June 4, 2015 – Nagase America is pleased to welcome Kenji Asakura as the new president and CEO of Nagase & Co, Ltd.  Effective April 1st, Asakura now oversees the Nagase Group’s nearly 6,000 employees in 20 countries and is the first non-Nagase family member to be president in the company’s history. Asakura succeeds Hiroshi Nagase, who now serves as chairman of the board of directors.

“Hiroshi has demonstrated strong leadership over the past 16 years, focusing on delivering added value to customers,” said Asakura.  “Under his leadership, the Nagase Group’s annual sales have grown to over 6 billion dollars.  I look forward to building on this strong foundation in my new role.”

Asakura joined Nagase in 1978 after graduating from Keio University and has held a variety of key offices at Nagase.  He served as the general manager of the automotive department in Japan and also as the director of the automotive, electronics, and energy businesses for the Americas, Europe, and parts of Asia.  Asakura intends to focus on expanding Nagase’s strengths in manufacturing and developing Nagase’s overseas businesses.

“Kenji has over 30 years of experience at Nagase in a variety of global businesses, and we’re excited to leverage his knowledge for growth in the Americas,” said Ryuichi Uchida, president of Nagase America. “Nagase is a diverse global company, and we are confident that Kenji’s leadership will provide the company with new opportunities.”

With its nearly 200-year history, Nagase provides solutions based on technical expertise and market insight in the chemicals, life sciences, automotive, and electronics industries.  Nagase brings together good science with great people to create customized solutions for the world’s changing economic, environmental, and social needs.

For more information visit www.NagaseAmerica.com.

Contact: Michael Moses, 212-703-1343, michael.moses@nagase-nam.com.

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About Nagase America:
Nagase America is a global leader in innovative solutions for the chemicals, plastics, electronics, life sciences and automotive markets. We are a member of the Nagase Group, founded in 1832 and now encompassing over 100 companies in 20 countries and nearly 6,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.NagaseAmerica.com or www.Nagase.co.jp/english/.