Masahiko Uotani is the former CEO and President of the Shiseido Group, the world’s oldest cosmetics company, headquartered in Japan. After more than a decade leading the firm, Uotani announced his retirement at the end of 2024. However, he was appointed Senior Advisor to the group to support young talents and foster their development within the company.
At the same time as his retirement from Shiseido, Accenture announced Uotani’s appointment to its Board of Directors as a new member. The company celebrated his inclusion, highlighting his extensive experience and leadership in the global business arena.
Before joining Shiseido
Prior to his tenure at Shiseido, Uotani held leadership roles at Coca-Cola Japan, where he served as CEO and Chief Marketing Officer. He also built a strong career in consumer goods management. After more than ten years in the cosmetics industry, he became part of the Japan Cosmetic Industry Association, the Japan Marketing Association, and the nation’s Business Federation.
Masahiko achieved great success throughout his career by focusing not solely on financial outcomes—though numbers validated his work—but on “people and culture.” He often emphasized that the best source of innovation comes from “working together across different areas.”
Now retired, Uotani highlights his contribution to shaping Shiseido’s internal culture, describing it as “more interesting and diverse.” Before joining the cosmetics group, he completed a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and developed expertise in marketing and consumer goods.
The business career of Masahiko Uotani
In 1977, Uotani graduated from Doshisha University in Kyoto with a Bachelor of Arts in English and later earned a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School in New York. Over three decades, he worked in marketing, consumer product development, and business management.
Before taking multiple roles at Coca-Cola, he worked for Kraft Foods and Lion Dentifrice. At the world’s largest soft drink company, Uotani rose through various positions, eventually becoming President and CEO. Between 1994 and 2001, he was Marketing Director; from 2001 to 2011, he served as company president and chairman of the board.
During that period, Shiseido approached him to lead the organization—marking a shift from beverages to cosmetics and introducing new challenges. Over time, and after ten years as CEO and president, Uotani expressed pride in “the organization he helped build” and added, “When people move beyond regional silos and work together as a global team, many new ideas emerge.”
His time at Shiseido
Although Uotani stepped down from his executive role upon retirement, he remains involved as a Senior Advisor. From 2014 to 2024, he implemented a major transformation at Shiseido and within the cosmetics industry itself. Several reports confirmed that the company underwent a 180-degree shift under his leadership, revitalizing both the brand and its sector.
Confident in his approach, Uotani stated in an interview that the change “wasn’t difficult” because it was built on a “genuine connection with people” through “passion and enthusiasm to make things happen.” He firmly believes in dialogue, human connection, and a strong, diverse organizational culture.
As CEO, Uotani led Shiseido through the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that challenged the cosmetics market, especially in China. When he first joined the company, he strengthened Japan’s business relations with China, transforming the neighboring country into a key ally for Shiseido.
In another interview, Uotani acknowledged that “if COVID-19 hadn’t happened, something else would have,” highlighting the need for businesses to remain prepared for the unexpected. With his extensive experience, he also presides over Shiseido’s Beauty Academy and has been invited to lecture at Harvard and Dartmouth College.
Masahiko Uotani has become a highly respected voice for his cultural and human-centric leadership philosophy. Rather than focusing on numbers or shares, he advocates for diversity and meaningful human connection as the foundation for building stronger, more resilient corporate cultures.
