On June 26, 2009 Okuma Corporation (Japan) board of directors approved the promotion of Takeshi (Tad) Yamamoto to the position of Chairman and CEO effective July 1, 2009. The position has been vacant since Kirk Kitagawa returned to Okuma Corporation Japan in 2008. Tad was formerly with Okuma America Corporation (OAC) in operations planning from February 1994 to July 2002 when he returned to Japan. Tad re-joined the OAC family as Executive Vice President and Operating Officer in July 2008.
Dean Hanaki, president and CEO of Okuma and the OCJ Board Members know Tad is up for this challenge and are very supportive of this promotion. Tad will be leading OAC through this difficult economic recovery period and will rely heavily on the support of Larry Schwartz, president and COO of OAC and the rest of the executive team.