Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp.'s Executive Vice President Eiji Hashimoto expressed his ambition to make his company the world's top steel-maker after being appointed to become the next chief of the Japanese steel giant on Thursday.
"There is a fair chance that we can become the world's No. 1 comprehensive steel-maker" with our vast range of products, high level of skills and grasp of the market through our global network, Hashimoto, a 63-year-old executive with ample experience in overseas operations, said at a news conference.
Hashimoto, a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School, will replace the current president, Kosei Shindo, 69, as of April 1, the day when the company — currently ranked third in the world by crude steel production — will start afresh under a new name, Nippon Steel Corp.