Pictured above in 2020 (from left): Socially distanced during COVID are Mike Marusic, Frank Cannata, and Ted Kuwamura.
We learned last week from Sharp Electronics in New Jersey that a new president has been appointed in Japan. We were informed it was Ted Kawamura, an old friend.
To get the whole story, I reached out to Hiro Ueda to see if he could come up with some information about this important announcement. He happened to be in Japan at the time. As always, Hiro did not disappoint us. We thank him profusely for acting as one of our staff in Japan to bring you this important news. The details are as such:
Sharp announced on March 19 that Executive Vice President Tetsuji Kawamura (64) will be promoted to president, representative executive officer, and CEO effective April 1. Current President Masahiro Okitsu (68) will become vice chairman without representative authority. Under Kawamura, who has been leading new business development, the company aims to accelerate the creation of new growth pillars to replace its once-core LCD TV business.
Kawamura has held leadership roles at Sharp’s European headquarters and U.S. sales operations. After overseeing smart office and MFP-related businesses, he currently leads new business development.
Tetsuji “Ted” Kawamura on stage at a Sharp dealer “road show” in 2023.
Sharp fell into net losses for two consecutive fiscal years ending March 2023 and March 2024 due to the slump in its liquid crystal display (LCD) panel business. Former President Po-Hsun Wu, from parent company Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), effectively resigned to take responsibility, and Okitsu assumed the presidency in June 2024.
The company has been advancing structural reforms, including ending production of TV LCD panels at its Sakai plant (Osaka Prefecture) in August 2024. As a result, Sharp returned to profitability in the fiscal year ending March 2025. For the fiscal year ending March 2026, the company expects increased profits, partly driven by last-minute demand for PCs ahead of the end of support for Microsoft’s Windows 10.
What technology will replace Sharp’s LCD business?
While overall performance has recovered, the LCD panel business continues to post losses. The planned sale of the second plant at the Kameyama factory (Mie Prefecture) to parent company Hon Hai fell through due to Hon Hai’s change of plans. Hon Hai intends to repurpose the facility as a server production site. Had the sale gone through, Sharp could have secured stable income through both the sale proceeds and contract manufacturing from Hon Hai. The company is still seeking a buyer for the plant.
Sharp has yet to establish a clear successor to LCDs as its main growth driver. One example is its EV electronic vehicle under development, which features a projector for watching movies and a table for reading, allowing the vehicle to function as “another room” when parked at home. However, it remains uncertain whether this business can grow into a company-wide growth engine comparable to its former LCD business.
Kawamura’s key challenge will be to fully stem losses in the LCD panel business while formulating and executing a new growth strategy for the company’s future.
Sharp Electronics in the United States is ecstatic as he was president here and led Sharp through the difficult COVID period and managed to grow the business: a great credit to him and the B2B team led by Mike Marusic, president and CEO of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America.
It has been my good fortune to work with some outstanding Japanese executives for more than 40 years. Haruo Murase and Fujio Mitarai from Canon are two great examples who accomplished some amazing things in the United States; they continued when they returned to Japan.
Ted is certainly in their class. Having Kawamura in the top position of Sharp Electronics is good news for Sharp’s dealers, as he not only understands their business but also has a great relationship with many of them. We look forward to seeing what products and services he will bring for U.S. distribution.
With the Japanese fiscal year end coming in April, consider subscribing to the Domo Report.
