Shiseido Appoints Chairman/CEO for U.S. Subsidiary

Carsten Fischer, CEO and chief officer of the international business division of Shiseido Co. Ltd., announced the appointment of Shoji Takahashi to the position of chairman and CEO of Shiseido Americas Corporation (SAC), the U.S. subsidiary of the company. Takahashi will replace Shuichi Tanaka, who will retire at the end of July 2008.

"Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Takahashi have been an integral part of Shiseido's growth in the overseas market for the past six years," said Fischer. "We gratefully acknowledge Mr. Tanaka’s contributions to the company, for building the solid business foundation in the United States and making the recent structural reform possible. We are certain that Mr. Takahashi will further accelerate the reform and push forward in realizing continuous growth in the market.”

Takahashi joined Shiseido in April1981 after graduation from Tokyo’s Keio University. The early years of his career were devoted to the company’s manufacturing, technical, and research and development areas. Takahashi later extended his corporate expertise via positions in Shiseido’s corporate planning, international planning and international product marketing departments. In April 2004, he was appointed general manager of the international planning department at the Tokyo headquarters, where he developed strategies for the overseas cosmetic businesses. In January 2007, he was appointed general manager of the international product marketing department, leading the product development and marketing functions for the international divisions of global brands such as Shiseido and Clé de Peau Beauté. In April 2008, he was named a corporate officer and appointed to the board of directors for Shiseido Co. Ltd.

Takahashi’s appointment is concurrent with a structural consolidation of the business operations of the U.S. subsidiary. In his new role, he will oversee the corporate division and four business divisions as follows:

• Shiseido Cosmetics America

• Beauté Prestige International USA

• Nars Cosmetics

• JV Fragrances and Skincare

Drawing on his multifaceted background within the company, Takahashi’s role, according to the company, will be to further accelerate the growth and improve profitability of the U.S. businesses.

“I am excited to assume this role at this time in the history of the U.S. subsidiary and for the opportunity to work with the U.S. management team," said Takahashi. "I believe that together we will drive the ambitious initiatives and platforms that are in place and achieve the company’s financial and operational goals.”

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