Two of Japan’s largest shipping companies are lining up changes at the top.
From June, Kazuma Yamanaka will take over from Kazuo Tanimizu as president of NS United Kaiun Kaisha.
Yamanaka, 59, is a part-time board member who began his career at Nippon Steel in 1986. He spent his career mostly with Nippon Steel, which merged with Sumitomo Metal in 2012.
Yamanaka joined NS United in 2020.
Nippon Steel has a 33% shareholding in NS United, which operates a fleet of 127 oceangoing vessels, mostly iron ore and coal carriers up to 400,000 dwt.
From April, Yusuke Otani will take over as president of Iino Lines, replacing Hiromi Tosha, who will take on a non-executive role at the company.
Otani, 55, joined Iino in 1991 and was appointed general manager of corporate planning in 2016.
Iino said the appointment was made so that Otani can lead the company’s next management plan.
He will “promote the next midterm management plan currently being formulated, with the aim of further improving business performance by clarifying management responsibility”, it added.
Iino operates a fleet of 94 chemical and crude tankers, bulkers and gas carriers, including LNG carriers.
