Omoto Akiyuki (大本晶之) has become Marubeni's new president in an exceptional personnel move that leapfrogged 14 people. Meanwhile, Sumitomo Corporation has decided to withdraw from its Ambatovy nickel business and announced that it expects the sale to be completed by the end of September 2026.
At general trading company Marubeni, Omoto Akiyuki (大本晶之), who was promoted last year to executive vice president and then president after leapfrogging 14 people, has taken the top job and established a structure under the president to enforce investment discipline and test hypotheses around winning strategies. Current employees value Omoto Akiyuki's (大本晶之) ability to communicate the intent behind his remarks clearly and his commitment to advancing strategic platform businesses.
Marubeni is working to achieve the targets of its medium-term management strategy, GC2027, ahead of schedule and is shifting toward a growth strategy that targets a place among the world's top 100 companies by corporate value. Under Omoto Akiyuki (大本晶之), who seeks to manage with an awareness of global standards informed by his studies at Harvard Business School, the penetration of internal KPIs and the sharing of management objectives are said to be progressing.
Meanwhile, Sumitomo Corporation has formally decided to withdraw from the Ambatovy nickel business and, following the processing of large-scale losses in the 2000s, has indicated that it will consider options including a sale. Completion of the sale is expected by the end of September 2026, and an investment consortium with a track record of operating the business is considered the most suitable buyer.
Jiryo Hiroshi (治良博史) points out that the withdrawal decision appears to have been influenced by short-term thinking, while emphasizing the Sumitomo Group's philosophy of planning for a business over a century. Its investment stance in resources, based on a long-term view of demand, could also affect the balance of power among Japan's five major trading companies.