Hitachi CEO Toshiaki Tokunaga is leading Japan’s 115-year-old technology giant through a bold transformation, steering it from its traditional manufacturing roots toward a future centered on software, services and social innovation infrastructure.
He will also join this year’s APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, where global business leaders will gather to discuss digital innovation and sustainable growth.
Born in 1967, Tokunaga joined Hitachi early in his career in 1990 and rose through the ranks, particularly in the company's digital systems and services divisions. Before becoming CEO, he served as executive vice president and general manager of the digital systems and services division.
Upon his appointment in April this year, Tokunaga laid out a clear vision: to accelerate Hitachi's transformation into a "digital-centric global leader." He is currently steering the company's three-year mid-term management plan, set to run from 2025-2027, which places digital innovation, generative AI and sustainability at the core of Hitachi's operations.
“We will accelerate our journey as a global leader with digital technology at the core,” Tokunaga said during his first press conference after taking office, outlining a vision to expand Hitachi’s social innovation and AI-driven services worldwide.
Outgoing President Keiji Kojima, now serving as vice chair, called Tokunaga “the right leader to advance Hitachi’s shift toward a digital-centric enterprise,” emphasizing that “Hitachi’s structural reforms are never-ending.”
Once a sprawling conglomerate known for its "octopus-style management," with an expansive business portfolio spanning hardware electronics, railways, semiconductors and financial services, Hitachi has since reinvented itself as a global AI and digital powerhouse.
The company's turnaround has been striking. After recording a record net loss of 787 billion yen ($5 billion) in 2008, Hitachi has embarked on a sweeping restructuring to shift its focus from traditional manufacturing to IT and digital-driven businesses. As a result, since 2011, Hitachi has consistently generated over 9 trillion yen in annual revenue.
By the fiscal year ending March 2025, the company achieved 9.78 trillion yen in revenue and 615.7 billion yen in net profit. Its share price has surged from 234 yen in 2009 to over 4,000 yen as of October 2025, a 17-fold increase.
herim@heraldcorp.com
