| September 20, 2006 |
| Press Release |
| Announcement of Organizational and Personnel Changes Effective October 1, 2006 |
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| KENWOOD Corporation (President and CEO: Haruo Kawahara; Head Office: Hachioji, Tokyo) is pleased to announce the following organizational changes and personnel transfers, effective October 1, 2006. |
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| 1.Purpose of Organizational Changes and Personnel Transfers Effective October 1 |
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In accordance with its “Value Creation Plan,” the second mid-term business plan that was formulated in May 2005, KENWOOD (hereafter referred to as the Company) is currently advancing growth strategies at the car electronics, communications equipment and home electronics businesses, and is working towards realization of a “seamless entertainment world” where our customers can enjoy reproduction of high-quality sound in all scenes of their lives, both inside and outside their homes and in their automobiles, by integrating these three businesses to create a “Mobile & Home Multimedia System” business.
This organizational change will further strengthen the organizational management under a new sector system that was reorganized in April 2006, aiming to improve and enhance the structure towards fiscal year ending March 2008, the final year of the second mid-term business plan.
In the Communications Equipment Division, the Company will change its development structure to prepare for mass production of next-generation digital wireless radios. |
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| 2.Principle Organizational Changes |
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(1) Consumer Business Sector |
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Under the Consumer Business Sector, which controls the Car Electronics Consumer Division, Car Electronics Multimedia Division and Home Electronics Division, the Company will establish “Consumer Business Operation” (a level 1.5 unit), which generalize business management, business innovation and new businesses in the entire consumer business. This new entity will contain “PSI Innovation Project” (a level 2 unit) to be newly established, and the E-Business Management Department (a level 2 unit), which has been directly controlled by the Consumer Business Sector.
In relation to the above changes, KENWOOD will dissolve the Consumer Business Management Operation, which has a business promotion function for the Consumer Business Sector and each division, and the business promotion and business management functions for the car electronics business will be included in the Car Electronics Consumer Division, while those for the Home Electronics Division will be included in the home electronics business. |
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| a.Car Electronics Consumer Division |
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The “Car Electronics Marketing Department” (a level 2 unit) will be established under the direct control of the Car Electronics Consumer Division. The new department will function to reinforce the entire car electronics consumer business including audio and multimedia systems by combining such functions as identification and analysis of market trends and product development in Japan and overseas, which have been implemented by the Business Planning Department (under the control of the Consumer Business Management Operation).
Sales planning functions implemented by the Domestic Sales & Marketing Department will be consolidated into the “Car Electronics Marketing Department.” The Domestic Sales & Marketing Department will be renamed the “Car Electronics Domestic Sales Department,” which will enhance cooperation with the Domestic Sales & Marketing Department of Home Electronics Division and improve the efficiency of sales functions. As part of these initiatives, a person in charge of domestic sales will be assigned to both the Car Electronics Consumer Division and the Home Electronics Division.
In addition, a level 1.5 unit of “Car Electronics Business Management Operation” will be established under the Car Electronics Consumer Division. Then, the Company will set up a “Business Management & Administration Department” and a “PSI*1 Management Department,” both level 2 units, under “Car Electronics Business Management Operation.” Consumer Business Management Operation’s functions will be transferred to Car Electronics Business Management Operation. Under the new framework, the Company will enhance the business management and control functions of the entire car electronics consumer business including audio and multimedia systems.
*1 PSI : Production, Sales and Inventory |
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| b.Car Electronics Multimedia Division |
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In order to expedite the development of next car-multimedia systems, the Company will reorganize this division’s development sector and project structure. The MM*1 Systems Development Department (a level 2 unit), the CMS*2 Planning & Engineering Department (a level 2 unit) and the AMS*3 Development Project (a level 2 unit) will be reorganized into “AMS*3 Department” (a level 2 unit) and CMS*2 Planning & Engineering Department (a level 2 unit). AMS*3 Department will be exclusively in charge of the development of new car navigation systems.
*1MM : Multimedia
*2CMS : Car Multimedia Systems
*3AMS : Advanced Multimedia Systems |
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| c.Home Electronics Division |
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A level 2 unit of the “Business Management Department” will be established under the control of the Home Electronics Division to strengthen the business management and control functions. |
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(2) Communications Equipment Division |
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Projecting a full-scale implementation of design activities for the mass production of next-generation digital wireless radios, the Company will establish a more flexible and cross-functional technology/development system. To this end, Engineering Department 1 (in charge of analog designs) and Engineering Department 2 (in charge of digital designs) will be reorganized so that Engineering Department 1 will handle designs of (digital and analog) circuits and Engineering Department 2 will be in charge of designs of (digital and analog) mechanisms. |
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| 3.Changes in Executive Officers' Posts |
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| Name |
New Duties |
Previous Duties |
| Shuntaro Tanaka |
Senior Vice President & Executive Officer
Assistant to CEO; Consumer Business Sector
General Manager, Consumer Business Operation of Consumer Business Sector |
Senior Vice President & Executive Officer
Assistant to CEO; Consumer Business Sector
General Executive of Car Electronics Consumer Div.
General Executive of Car Electronics Multimedia Div. |
| Makoto Inukai |
Senior Vice President & Executive Officer
General Executive of Car Electronics Consumer Div.
Assistant to Consumer Business Sector
General Manager, Car Electronics Systems Planning & Engineering Operation of Car Electronics Consumer Div. |
Senior Vice President & Executive Officer
Assistant to CEO; Consumer Business Sector, Marketing & Product Strategy |
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| 4.Personnel Transfers |
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| Name |
New Duties |
Previous Duties |
| Michiyuki Terasawa |
General Executive of Car Electronics Multimedia Div.
Chief Engineer of Car Electronics OEM Div.
Senior Manager, Advanced Multimedia Systems Dpt. of Car Electronics Multimedia Div.
Chief Engineer of Strategic Technologies Development Center |
Chief Engineer / General Manager, Systems Planning & Engineering Operation of Car Electronics OEM Div.
Chief Engineer of Strategic Technologies Development Center |
| Tsutomu Hayakawa |
Next System Development Management of Car Electronics Multimedia Div. |
Development Management / Senior Manager, MM System Development of Car Electronics Multimedia Div. |
| Yoichi Oyama |
Domestic Sales and Marketing Management of Car Electronics Consumer Div.
Domestic Sales and Marketing Management / Senior Manager, Domestic Sales and Marketing Dpt. of Home Electronics Div. |
Deputy General Executive / Senior Manager, Domestic Sales and Marketing Dept. of Home Electronics Div. |
| Tadashi Muromoto |
General Manager, Car Electronics Business Management Operation of Car Electronics Consumer Div.
Assistant to Consumer Business Sector |
General Manager, Consumer Business Management Operation of Consumer Business Sector |
| Yoshihito Arai |
General Manager, Systems Planning & Engineering Operation of Car Electronics OEM Div. |
Deputy General Executive of Car Multimedia Div. |
| Kazuhiko Hikichi |
Chief Specialist of Communications Equipment Div. |
Chief Engineer of Communications Equipment Div.
Chief Engineer of Strategic Technologies Development Center |
| Akira Suzuki |
Chief Engineer of Communications Equipment Div.
Chief Engineer of Strategic Technologies Development Center |
Assistant to Chief Engineer; Design Development Management / Product Management & Systems Development Dpt. / Senior Manager, Engineering Dpt.3 of Communications Equipment Div. |
| Kazuhiro Sato |
President of KENWOOD Nagano
Corporation
Production Initiative Dpt. of Global Production and Quality Management Div. |
President of KENWOOD Yamagata Corporation |
| Yasuhiko Takami |
President of KENWOOD Yamagata
Corporation
Production Initiative Dpt. of Global Production and Quality Management Div. |
President of KENWOOD Nagano
Corporation
Production Initiative Dpt. of Global Production and Quality Management Div. |
| Toshiyuki Yoshida |
Dispatched to KENWOOD Electronics Europe B.V.(Director)
Dispatched to KENWOOD Electronics UK Limited(Director) |
Dispatched to KENWOOD Electronics Europe B.V.(Director) |
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| The KENWOOD Corporation is “Reaching out to discover,
inspire and enhance the enjoyment of life” as part of its bold, new vision
for the future. A leader in “Mobile & Home Multimedia Systems”,
KENWOOD is comprised of three business units (Car Electronics, Communications
and Home Electronics), 11 domestic and 22 overseas subsidiaries around the world. |
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| For inquiries regarding this article, please contact: |
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