Overview

• The board of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives accepted Takeshi Niinami’s resignation at an emergency meeting on Sept. 30.
• Senior Vice Chairman Mutsuo Iwai, who leads Japan Tobacco Inc., will serve as acting chair until a successor is chosen.
• An ethics review committee formed on Sept. 11 evaluated Niinami’s standing and recommended that the association seek his resignation.
• Niinami has denied wrongdoing, saying he believed the supplements were legal, and he had already stepped down as Suntory chairman effective Sept. 1.
• Keizai Doyukai counts about 1,700 senior executives from some 1,200 companies and crafts policy proposals independent of corporate affiliation.