News

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Head office Tokyo, President Chihiro Kanagawa) has decided to appoint Toshihiko Fukui, former Governor of the Bank of Japan, as an External Director. It is scheduled that his appointment will be officially decided through the vote of approval at the Shin-Etsu Chemical’s general stockholders’ meeting scheduled to be held at the end of June this year. Mr. Fukui was previously appointed to the position of Shin-Etsu Chemical’s Special Adviser in November 2008.

Mr. Fukui is a splendid person in every respect with regard to his knowledge, experience and character. Since he assumed the position of Shin-Etsu Chemical’s Special Adviser, he has been attending our company’s important meetings, and we have been benefitting from his sagacious advice based on his broad perspective.

The reasons for inviting Mr. Fukui to assume the position of External Director are to be able in the midst of a world economy in turmoil to avail ourselves of his rich knowledge and experience and receive further advice based on his outstanding broad-perspective insights when dealing with various key management issues.

At the same time, Mr. Fukui’s advice is also expected to help strengthen Shin-Etsu’s corporate governance and help it establish a management system that is more highly transparent.

In the future, as an External Director, Mr. Fukui will become more deeply and actively engaged in our company’s management.

On the occasion of his being appointed to the post of External Director of Shin-Etsu Chemical, Mr. Fukui commented as follows:
“During my career at the Bank of Japan, I considered that it was essential to grasp accurately the actual situation of the economy in order to appropriately carry out financial policy, and I particularly valued having discussions with many top corporate managers. During the course of these conversations, I received a request from Shin-Etsu Chemical President Kanagawa to assume the position of Special Adviser followed by his request to me to assume the heavily responsible post of Director. President Kanagawa is a manager who has his own original management philosophy, who has globally developed his company’s businesses, and who confidently makes management judgments on his own. I am truly honored to have been requested to assume the positions.
“In the future, I would like to participate in the company’s management so that I can look at things based on a broader set of on-site business experiences.”

A brief outline of Mr. Fukui’s career follows:
1935:Born on September 7 in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
1958: Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law, joined the Bank of Japan
1970: Stationed in Paris
1980: Takamatsu Branch Manager
1981: Osaka Branch Deputy Manager
1985: Director-General of Research and Statistics Department
1986: Director-General of the then- Banking Department
1989: Director-General of the then-Policy Planning Department, Executive Director of the Bank of Japan
1994: Deputy Governor of the Bank of Japan.
1998: Retired from post of Deputy Governor of the Bank of Japan,Chairman of the Fujitsu Research Institute
2001: Vice Chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives
2003: Governor of the Bank of Japan
2008: Retired as Governor of the Bank of Japan,
           Global Advisor of Panasonic Corporation (present),
           Special Adviser, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.,
           Director, Tokyo Commodity Exchange, Inc. (present)