Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo
Speaker - Yoshihiro Hemmi, Tohato

Monday, December 6th -
Yoshihiro (Joe) Hemmi - CEO & President of Tohato Inc.

Title: "Tohato Revitalization"

Profile
Tohato, a well-known confectionary manufacturer with brands including Carmel Corn, Harvest, All Raison, and Habanero, was the first "pre-packaged Chapter 11" restructuring company in Japan. Now in its second year of operation and with 20 billion yen in sale the future is looking brigher for Tohato.

Mr. Hemmi, a Harvard Business School MBA Graduate and formerly the Vice President of adidas Japan, was sent by a private equity fund to implement the turnaround of Tohato, Inc.
Mr. Hemmi's December 6th EA-Tokyo presentation is entitled, "Tohato Revitalization".

After graduating from Keio University in 1980, Joe Hemmi joined Mitsui Bussan K.K. From 1980 to 1990, he worked his way through the Chemical Division, planning and implementing chemical business related investment projects and managing affiliate companies covering the US and Canada. Mr. Hemmi moved on to the Boston Consulting Group and made partner in 1998, before leaving for Adidas Japan K.K. At that time, adidas Japan was just being established and he assisted in building the business from scratch. At the time of his departure from adidas, the company had sales of over 50 billion yen, 5 years of consecutive double digit growth in sales and profit, over 500 employees, offices in Tokyo, Osaka, and 20 adidas-owned shops nationwide.