ASICS CORPORATION ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN KEY MANAGEMENT POSITIONS

Kobe, January 23, 2018 – Following decisions taken at a meeting of the company’s Board of Directors, ASICS Corporation (Tokyo: 7936; ISIN: JP3118000003) has announced scheduled changes in key management positions as detailed below. These changes will be formally confirmed at the Regular Shareholders’ Meeting on March 29.

Changes (effective March 29, 2018):
　　　• Motoi Oyama named Chairman and CEO, Representative Director
　　　　(currently Chairman, President and CEO, Representative Director)
　　　• Yasuhito Hirota named President and COO, Representative Director
　　　　(appointed to an advisory role starting January 20)

Mr. Oyama, who became President of ASICS in 2008, and was appointed Chairman of the Board in March 2017, said: “Approaching my eleventh year in the role, the decision to appoint a new President was taken in order to ensure that the group can advance as one towards the next stage of our medium-term strategy, the ASICS Growth Plan (AGP) 2020.” Regarding Mr. Hirota’s appointment he added, “After becoming Chairman of the Board last year, I decided that this would be the correct time to hand over the role of President to Mr. Hirota, and let him oversee the practical management of the company.” In his continuing role as CEO, Mr. Oyama will carry on directing the operations of the group as a whole.

Mr. Hirota, who has assumed an advisory role ahead of his formal appointment as President  and COO on March 29, joins ASICS from his previous position as Representative Director, Member of the Board, Executive Vice President, Corporate Functional Officer, and Head of Regional Strategy for Japan with Mitsubishi Corporation, where he spent almost 38 years. On the subject of today’s announcement, he said: “It is a great honor for me to accept the position of President and COO with ASICS Corporation. Working in conjunction with Mr. Oyama and the ASICS senior management team, I am ready to give my all to cement the continuing global progress of the ASICS Group.”

Incoming President and COO, Representative Director Yasuhito Hirota, Profile:

Born:　　　November 5, 1956 (age 61)
                     Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
Education:  Waseda University School of Political Science and Economics
　　　　　   (graduated March 1980)
Career:
Apr. 1980　Joined Mitsubishi Corporation
Apr. 2010　Senior Vice President 
                     General Manager, Corporate Administration Dept.
Apr. 2011　 Senior Vice President 
　　　　　  Senior Assistant to Senior Executive Vice President
　　　　　  Corporate Functional Officer, Corporate Communications, Corporate
　　　　　  Administration, CSR & Environmental Affairs, Legal, Human Resources 
　　　　　  General Manager, Corporate Administration Dept.
Apr. 2014    Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, Corporate Administration,
　　　　　  CSR & Environmental Affairs, Legal, Human Resources
Jun. 2014    Representative Director, Member of the Board 
                     Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, Corporate Administration,
                     CSR & Environmental Affairs, Legal, Human Resources
Apr. 2016    Representative Director, Member of the Board 
                     Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, Corporate Administration,
                     CSR & Environmental Affairs, Legal, Human Resources 
                     Chief Compliance Officer
Apr. 2017    Representative Director, Member of the Board 
                     Executive Vice President 
                     Corporate Functional Officer, Regional Strategy for Japan 
                     General Manager, Kansai Branch
Jan. 2018    Joined ASICS Corporation 
                     Senior Advisor to the Board

(Scheduled appointment as President and COO, Representative Director, ASICS Corporation: March 29, 2018)