Tokyo, Japan, October 1, 2013 – SATO Holdings Corporation, a leader in barcode printing, labeling, and EPC/RFID solutions, announced today the appointment of Mr. Masao Kodama to the position of Chief Marketing Officer (hereafter CMO).

In his new role, Mr. Kodama will lead the development and implementation of a fully-integrated marketing strategy across departments and overseas group companies. Mr. Kodama will assume responsibility for all of the company’s marketing functions, comprising marketing, market research, business planning, branding, and product planning. In his new assignment, he will also take the lead in marketing for new product launches and new business developments, and consolidate the Group’s internet marketing capabilities.

Mr. Kodama, currently senior manager of SATO’s Market Research and Planning Office, brings over 30 years of professional experience to this new position.Prior to joining SATO in 2012, he worked with Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in numerous positions of increasing responsibility in fields such as marketing, product planning, branding, R&D, CRM, demand forecast and sales promotion. Mr. Kodama holds a BA in Engineering from Keio University and a Master’s degree in Business (MSIA) from Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, he is also the Head of the Global Committee of the Japan CRM Association.

“With his extensive experience and expertise, Mr. Kodama is a great fit for the position of CMO,” said Kaz Matsuyama, President & CEO of SATO Holdings Corporation. “As CMO, he will play a critical role in increasing SATO’s global presence, raising brand awareness, and ensuring the Group’s marketing strategy is in line with our business goals and long-term vision to become the world leader in Auto-ID solutions.”

Speaking of his new role, Mr. Kodama said, “I’m excited and honored to hold this new position, and am looking forward to driving changes that will take SATO’s business to the next level and make us better able to deliver increasing value to our customers.”