Former Mizuno Corporation Chairman of the Board and Representative Director, Masato Mizuno, has been appointed to the position of CEO of the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee by the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) Executive Board. As a result, Mr. Mizuno resigned from his position with Mizuno Corporation on September 5th, in order to avoid conflict of interest, as described in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) code of ethics.
Mizuno, 68, first began working for Mizuno Corporation in 1966. He was appointed President in 1988, and became Chairman in June of 2006. Under his leadership, the organization experienced global growth in key regions. In 2010, sales and profits both rose for Mizuno Corporation, while net income was up 77 percent. The overseas operations also sustained strong performance in Europe (120.2 percent) and the Americas (116.1 percent), on a currency neutral basis.
This post is a great achievement for Mr. Mizuno and a reflection of the Corporation's support of the Olympic movement over the years. He will play an instrumental role in securing an Olympic Bid for Japan, which has not hosted a Summer Olympics since the 1964 XVIII Tokyo Games. The country most recently hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1998 at Nagano.
“We wish Masato well in his endeavor to secure a bid for Japan in 2020,” said Bob Puccini, President and CEO, Mizuno USA, and Chairman of the Board, Mizuno Canada Ltd. “He has served as a tremendous leader to our entire company, which has blossomed globally under his leadership. His new endeavor certainly embodies the spirit of our brand, and our mission of contributing to society through the advancement of sporting goods and the promotion of sports.”
Mizuno Corporation will maintain a two Representative Director system with Akito Mizuno, President and current Representative Director, and Jotaro Ueji, its newly appointed Representative Director and EVP.
Mizuno USA, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mizuno Corporation, one of the largest specialty sporting goods manufacturers in the world. Mizuno USA, Inc. manufactures and distributes golf, baseball, softball, running, track & field, and volleyball equipment, apparel, and footwear for North America. Mizuno USA, Inc. is based in Norcross, GA.
