Atsutoshi Nishida (西田 厚聰, Nishida Atsutoshi, 29 December 1943 – 8 December 2017) was a Japanese business executive.

Atsutoshi Nishida
西田厚聰
Nishida at the World Economic Forum on 24 January 2013
Born(1943-12-29)29 December 1943
Died8 December 2017(2017-12-08) (aged 73)
NationalityJapanese
Alma materWaseda University
University of Tokyo
Years active1975–2015

Early life

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Born on 29 December 1943 in Mie Prefecture, Nishida earned a bachelor's degree from Waseda University and completed graduate work at the University of Tokyo.[1][2] He married an Iranian woman shortly after concluding his studies in 1970.[3]

Career

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Nishida was still based in Iran when he was first hired by Toshiba in 1975.[3][4] Nishida pushed Toshiba to invest in and develop laptop computers in the 1980s,[3][5] and by 1984 was named a general manager, responsible for personal computer sales at Toshiba Europe.[2] The next year, Nishida's efforts resulted in the release of the Toshiba T1100.[6] Nishida later returned to Japan and assumed increasing responsibility over Toshiba's laptop division.[2]

Nishida was named president of Toshiba America Information Systems in April 1992,[7] and left the post in 1995, only to return in 1997.[8] During the early 2000s, he continued to take on senior management roles.[9] Nishida became president of the company in 2005.[3] During his tenure, Toshiba acquired the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 2006 for US$5.4 billion and ended the development of the HD DVD in 2008.[10][11] Nishida was succeeded by Norio Sasaki as president of Toshiba in 2009. Nishida became company chairman, a role he held until 2013.[4]

In 2015, an investigation was launched into profit inflation that took place under company presidents Nishida, Sasaki and Hisao Tanaka.[3][4] After the probe's findings were reported, Nishida left his position as adviser to the company.[12] Subsequently, Toshiba sued Nishida, Sasaki, and Tanaka for US$28.2 million.[13]

Death

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Nishida died of a heart attack at Toshiba General Hospital in Tokyo on 8 December 2017, aged 73.[14]

References

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  1. ^ 1000 CEOs. Dorling Kindersley/Penguin Group. 2009. p. 222. ISBN 9780756670573.
  2. ^ a b c Jackson, Dallas M. (28 April 1992). "Close-Up: Atsutoshi Nishida". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e Layne, Nathan; Ando, Ritsuko (24 August 2015). "In Toshiba scandal, the 'tough as nails' target setter". Reuters. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Landers, Peter; Mochizuki, Takashi (9 December 2017). "Former Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida Dies at 73". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  5. ^ Zarley, Craig (9 December 2005). "Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO, Toshiba". CRN. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  6. ^ Horwitz, Josh (26 April 2017). "It took Toshiba 70 years to reach its peak—and just a decade to fall into an abyss". Quartz. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  7. ^ Takahashi, Dean (28 April 1992). "Toshiba's U.S. Subsidiary Has New President". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Ex-President Resumes Post at Toshiba". Los Angeles Times. 21 June 1997. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Atsutoshi Nishida" (Press release). Toshiba. February 2005. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  10. ^ Sekiguchi, Waichi (23 February 2017). "Toshiba's Westinghouse mess points to deep cultural problems". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  11. ^ Kane, Yukari Iwatani (3 March 2008). "Toshiba's Plan for Life After HD DVD". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  12. ^ Mochizuki, Takashi (21 July 2015). "Toshiba CEO Resigns After Accounting Scandal". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Ex-Toshiba president Nishida, named in damages suit, dies at 73". Nikkei Asian Review. 10 December 2017. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Former Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida, who played key role in Dynabook notebook computer, dies at age 73". Japan Times. 10 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.