Tsuneishi Heavy Industries Names New President and CEO

CEBU, PHILIPPINES – Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Inc (THICI) hit the ground running at the beginning of the year as Akihiko Mishima was appointed president and CEO, effective January 2015.

Under Mishima’s watch, THICI prepares to deliver 18 ship this year, with the shipbuilder’s 200th ship set to be turned over to its new owner in June.

Mishima joined as an engineer for Tsuneishi Shipbuilding in Japan in 1976. His more than three decades-long career led him to join THICI as director in 2014, before taking over as president and CEO.

THICI, a joint venture between Japan-based shipbuilder Tsuneishi Group and the Aboitiz Group, said the 18 ships that will be delivered this year include three 35,300 deadweight metric ton (dwt) type; seven 58,000 dwt type, three of which are TESS58 AEROLINE; seven 82,000 dwt type; and one 180,000 dwt type cape-sized bulk carrier.

“Since the completion of the first ship, M/V Sea Amelita, in 1997, the capacity to build the number of ship orders gradually increased and new Tsuneishi ship brands were produced. This year, we aim to do more and better than we have in the past years,” said THICI’s newly appointed president and CEO Akihiko Mishima.

In an effort to strengthen cost competitiveness, THICI aims to build 25 to 30 vessels per year. This capacity to build more began in 2005 when former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated Slipway No. 2.

Meanwhile, aside from Mishima, two other executives were also recently appointed. Katsuhiro Danjo is the new THICI vice president. He joined Tsuneishi Shipbuilding in 1981. In 2001, he joined THICI as general manager of the ship sales department.

Engineer Segismundo Exaltacion Jr. took over as president and member of the board of directors of Tsuneishi Technical Services Inc, making him the company’s first Filipino president. – BusinessNewsAsia.com