American Tombow Inc. has announced the retirement of its president & CEO Jeffery Hinn, effective June 30, 2022. Hinn, who joined the company in 2008, has served as president & CEO for nearly 13 years and in 2016 became the first American member of Japanese-based Tombow Pencil Co. Ltd.’s board of directors. During his time at Tombow, Hinn has redefined the company’s direction and approach to going to market while doubling annual sales.
“Throughout my career, my ultimate goal was to run a company or a division of a company,” Hinn said. “I’m extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish at Tombow during my time here. I took over the business at a challenging time and it’s rewarding to now look back and see that we’ve gone up that hill and accomplished our goals by implementing concepts and ideas that have really benefited the organization.”
Prior to joining Tombow, Hinn spent more than 25 years working on consumer products sales and marketing. In retirement, he plans to spend time with friends and family, stay active, and travel.
Succeeding Hinn as American Tombow’s new President & CEO is Takao Midorikawa, who has worked for Tombow in Japan for more than 20 years. Midorikawa began his career at Tombow by managing internal communications between its Japanese headquarters and American subsidiary. For the past 10 years, he has managed Tombow’s export division, which includes managing 20 different countries. Midorikawa is also a member of Tombow Pencil Co. Ltd.’s board of directors.
Born and educated in the United States, Midorikawa sees the opportunity to become president & CEO as a full-circle moment in his career. In his new role, Midorikawa plans to focus on continuing to grow the business through consumer connection.
“I love seeing people use our product,” he said. “As the manufacturer, we put a lot of effort and energy into our products, so we want to see people using and enjoying them. I’m excited to be here and do my part in leading a company making products that people use in so many ways.”
