Japanese seafood giant Maruha Nichiro announced the resignation of its Chairman and former CEO Shigeru Ito on Jan 31.
In a statement, the company said that Ito will be stepping down for health reasons, effective Feb 1. Shigeru Ito has been the chairman of the company since 2020.
With the resignation of Ito, Masaru Ikemi -- who replaced him as CEO in 2020 -- will be the sole representative director for the company.
Ito will continue to act as an advisor from Feb. 1 to March 31, according to the release.
Maruha Nichiro, which reported sales of JPY 862 billion ($7 billion/€6.3 billion) in its 2021 fiscal year, has created a vast seafood empire of nearly 150 subsidiaries stretching across the globe, spanning harvesting, fish farming, processing and trading.
In the United States, Maruha Nichiro holds a position as a major supplier of Alaska pollock raw material and finished surimi products.
The company continues to invest in Alaska pollock production -- it recently partnered with two Alaska groups to acquire nine Alaska pollock fishing vessels and a processing vessel owned by Canada-based Cooke.
