Gakki Co. Ltd., holder of the Ibanez guitar and Tama drum brand names, has announced the appointment of Kimihide “Ken” Hoshino as the company’s new president. He succeeds Toshitsugu “Tom” Tanaka who, beginning in 2004, led the company into an era of sharply increased sales and prosperity. Tanaka will continue his work with the company in the capacity of advisor.
Kimihide “Ken” Hoshino, son of late company co-owner, Masao Hoshino, began his career with the Hoshino organization in 1974. From 1981 through 1985 he served as president of Hoshino USA Inc. and was widely acknowledged as the driving force behind Tama’s rise to prominence in the US market during that period. He then returned to Japan to head Hoshino’s domestic Japanese market distribution, and was also accepted as one of the company’s Board of Directors.
In the early ‘90s, Ken turned his focus to the improvement and expansion of the company’s pan-Asian manufacturing efforts, and by the mid-90s was responsible for leading the company’s Electronics division. In 2000, he was appointed president of the Hoshino Gakki Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in Seto City, Japan. This period of his career is marked by his role in the development of Tama’s much acclaimed Marching Percussion line. Most recently, he has also been piloting the company’s worldwide AR efforts.
Ken Hoshino remarks, “It will not be easy to live up to the exceptionally high standards of achievement and success set by my predecessors. But by applying what I have learned through all my past experience within the Hoshino Gakki Group, I believe our company stands poised to make Hoshino an even more valuable partner than ever.”
