Kirk Nakamura, chairman/CEO of Matsushita Electric Corp. of America in the early ’90s and president of Panasonic Company from 1988 to 1992, has been named president and member of the board of parent Matsushita Electric Industrial Company of Japan.
Nakamura, who was most recently president of the parent’s AVC Company and senior managing director, is one of several top executives at Matsushita who were named to new positions last week.
Masaharu Matsushita, chairman of Matsushita since 1977 and son-in-law of company founder Konosuke Matsushita, who is 87 years old, will become honorary chairman and executive adviser. Masayuki Matsushita, his son and grandson of the founder, was executive VP and will become vice chairman. Yoichi Morishita, 65, president of Matsushita since December 1992, has been named chairman.
Nakamura, 60, has extensive overseas experience with the company. Along with his tenure in the U.S. market he was president of Panasonic U.K. from 1992 to 1993. His overseas and technological expertise are said to be the main reasons for his appointment as consumer electronics moves into interactive services and Internet-related devices.
Replacing Nakamura as president of Matsushita’s AVC Company is Kazuo Toda, senior managing director and current president of the Home Appliance & Housing Electronics Company.
