LIXIL Asia-Pacific announces appointment of Katsuaki Uchidate as the General Director-Commercial for LWT Vietnam

Adopts a joint leader structure in the Vietnam market Yukiya Matsumoto to take as General Director-Manufacturing for LWT Vietnam in coming months

General Director-Commercial for LWT Vietnam

Hanoi, 1st April 2021: LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products, recently announced the appointment of Katsuaki Uchidate as the General Director-Commercial LIXIL Water Technologies (LWT), Vietnam and will be reporting to Satoshi Konagai Leader, LWT APAC 

This year LIXIL Vietnam will adopt a joint leader model to strengthen its operations and focus more on the needs of their customer in the Vietnam market. With this change, Yukiya Matsumoto will take on the Supply Chain Leadership role as the General Director- Manufacturing for LWT Vietnam from 1st April 2021 and will be reporting directly to Takeshi Teramoto, Leader, Manufacturing Fixtures, LIXIL International. 

The new structure will clearly lay our distinction where production, Supply Chain Management, in quality improvement and new value creation, together with partners (suppliers, etc.) will be handled by one leader allowing the other leader to focus more on customers and respond to their needs more quickly. Globally, LIXIL is on a journey to be a stronger and a more agile and innovation focused organization which thrives on an entrepreneurial mindset. 

Commenting on the new appointment, Satoshi Konagai, Leader, LIXIL Asia-Pacific said; “Vietnam is one of the biggest markets for APAC. We are confident that under Katsuaki’s leadership and direction, we will be able to maximize our performance. We are looking for the continued progress of our business in Vietnam, and its contribution towards the sustainable growth of LWT in APAC. We are focused on driving profitable growth by reaching more customers, and we have a prioritized strategy to expand our end-user reach by providing more effective solutions. 

On the appointment of Yukiya Matsumoto he further said; “We are very happy to be able to implement this new structure in our Vietnam market and we are sure that this vision will equip us for long-term success.”

LIXIL has been present in the Vietnam market for over 25 years now through its product brands like American Standard, GROHE, INAX and TOSTEM. Our LWT Vietnam business has already made steady progress in the domestic market in the past few years. Katsuaki’s mission will be to lead the business and leadership that we have in place today to aggressively execute the consumer-centric growth strategy that will take LIXIL’s presence and reach to the next level.

With a career spanning over 15 years in the sanitary ware industry, Katsuaki has demonstrated leadership in manufacturing, sales, and customer service. Prior to this, he was leading the LIXIL Taiwan team as a General Manager. Known for his deep understanding and acumen for diverse portfolios under both LIXIL Water Technology (LWT) and LIXIL Housing Technology (LHT), he has spearheaded the business across key markets in Eastern Asia including China, Taiwan and Korea.  Being a champion of LIXIL’s business operations, philosophy, and company culture, Katsuaki is a dynamic leader and has driven operations across the markets with a sense of deep understanding of business, consumers and products. 

In his previous role at LIXIL, Yukiya Matsumoto served as COE (Center of Excellence) for ceramics manufacturing for LIXIL Water Technology (LWT) business. Being associated with the organisation for over 28 years, Yukiya has held key positions where he was responsible for driving revenue, synergizing the business model, product, raw materials and manufacturing which has helped transform LIXIL Vietnam into a high-performing business unit. 

Both Katsuaki Uchidate and Yukiya Matsumoto will be based in Hanoi.

About LIXIL

LIXIL makes pioneering water and housing products that solve everyday, real-life challenges, making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate to make high quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design, an entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all, and responsible business growth. Our approach comes to life through industry leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard, and TOSTEM. Approximately 75,000 colleagues operating in more than 150 countries are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion people every day.

 LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company for LIXIL’s portfolio of businesses.