Masahiro Okafuji was born in 1949. He followed the path of most Japanese executive working for one company their entire career which ultimately led him to the top post. In 1974 he joined Itochu Corporation, a Japanese trading company. This was right after he graduated from Tokyo University.
Masahiro rose through the ranks, primarily in Itochu’s textile operations. In 2002, he became an executive officer. In 2004, he moved up the corporate ladder again, becoming president of Itochu’s textile division and managing director of Itochu Corp.
In 2006, Masahiro was appointed senior managing director. He helped to establish the businesses brand and helped the company adapt to the dynamic consumer market. He was promoted to executive vice president in 2009, a position he held until April 1, 2010, when he was promoted to CEO and president of Itochu Corporation. He was 60 when appointed to the top executive position.
Itochu is a major trading company in Japan and the world for that matter. It doesn’t just buy and sell products it also buys and sells companies depending on what Itochu feels meets their objectives. Masahiro, 2011 devised a plan to invest up to $10 billion in 2 years. He headed the purchase of British tire fitter Kwik Fit in 2011 for £637 million. Masahiro promised that it wasn’t just a quick buying and selling of the company having committed to invest in the business to help it expand and grow.
In 2012, Masahiro brought forth a medium-term management plan called Brand-new Deal. Under his leadership Itochu reached a record income of 300.5 billion yen.
China is one country he is looking for much growth and profit. Masahiro has also continued initiatives to reduce the company’s reliance on natural resource businesses. This is being achieved by investing in a wider range of companies. As stated by Masahiro, until around 2005, Itochu has the same business drivers — natural resources, energy and machinery. Then the company rebalanced its portfolio shifting toward consumer-oriented non-resource businesses.
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