NAGASE ANNOUNCES BRADLEY HILBORN AS CEO OF AMERICAS DIVISION

Historic Announcement Showcases Inclusive Direction for Company

NEW YORK, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NAGASE & CO., LTD. announced today that Bradley Hilborn is the new CEO of their Americas division, Nagase Holdings America Corporation. Bradley Hilborn has been with NAGASE for 21 years and was previously Vice President of Business Strategy & Planning at Nagase Holdings America. The appointment of Bradley represents a milestone in NAGASE's history as the company expands its executive leadership team outside of Japan.

This landmark role is a forward-looking cultural change for the company, showcasing a commitment to globalizing the workforce of NAGASE, allowing nationals to make regional decisions for the company, and inspiring the potential of career trajectories for employees.

"I am pleased to announce Bradley Hilborn, a veteran of NAGASE, as the CEO of the Americas region," says Kenji Asakura, President and CEO of NAGASE & CO., LTD. "Under Mr. Hilborn's exceptional leadership, I am confident that locally developed businesses that better meet the needs of customers will increase, and as a result, the presence and business of the NAGASE Group in the Americas will expand."

In the position, Bradley will emphasize value-added models in key areas such as research and development (R&D), market strategy, technical support, and distribution. He seeks to use this model to serve customers and suppliers by streamlining services to help solve their challenges under one roof. Having been involved deeply in biochemistry throughout his career, Bradley is also looking to utilize sustainable chemistry for the company by pursuing new pathways in biothermal energy, biocatalysis, agricultural biotechnology, and more.

"My focus is to accelerate growth by maximizing connectivity among our affiliates throughout the region," Bradley says of his vision for the company. "Through investments in our existing organizations or acquisition of new ones we will expand our reach and capabilities. We are looking to leverage our organization's assets from research and development, manufacturing, application development, and distribution as we aim to step up what's possible for customers and suppliers."

"Bradley has impressed the NAGASE Group with his abundant industry experience, excellent strategic skill, and strong leadership," says Masaya Ikemoto, Board Member and Managing Director of NAGASE & CO., LTD. "I believe he is able to bring Nagase Holdings America Corporation to the next stage by setting a clear overall strategy centered around social and customer needs."

Bradley came to NAGASE in 2001, starting as a chemical salesman. During his tenure, he has made his mark as Manager of Performance Chemicals, Director of Sales Marketing, Chief Business Officer at Infinite Materials Solutions, LLC (Infinite™), and Executive Vice President at NAGASE Specialty Materials. He has focused on strategy development; mergers & acquisitions for NAGASE brands Fitz Chem and Interfacial Consultants; and corporate strategy for Nagase Holdings America Corporation. Bradley holds an Executive MBA from University of Washington—Michael G. Foster School of Business.

Prior to joining the leadership team at NAGASE, Bradley made significant contributions in his role as a research chemist for Henkel Corporation, working with syntactic foams. As a member of the American Chemical Society, Bradley has published four patents in structural adhesives and syntactic foams. He holds two Bachelor of Science degrees: one in biology and one in chemistry from Michigan State.

NAGASE & CO., LTD. is a chemicals and food ingredients trading firm with $8 billion in annual revenue. Founded in Kyoto, Japan in 1832 as a specialized purveyor of dyes and chemicals, NAGASE Group now has 100+ group companies and more than 7,000 team members. Spanning 30 countries and regions, NAGASE is connecting the world with high-end materials and technologies. Looking forward to their 200th anniversary in the year 2032, they are creating a platform for sustainable growth.

Nagase America: https://nagaseamerica.com 
Nagase Specialty Materials: https://www.nsm-na.com
NAGASE & CO., LTD.: https://www.nagase.co.jp/english/ 

SOURCE NAGASE HOLDINGS AMERICA CORPORATION