Plano-based NuZee, the producer and co-packer of single-serve coffee products, has appointed Nobuyuki Idei and Yoshinori Hashitani as its newest advisors.
Nobuyuki Idei
Idei, the current chairman of Quantum Leaps Corporation and former chairman and group chief executive officer of Sony Corporation, and Hashitani, the vice-chairman and Co-CEO of Quantum Leaps Corporation, are expected to bring innovation to the company with their extensive experiences as leaders, Nuzee said in a statement.
NuZee, which moved to Dallas-Fort Worth from California in 2019 and went public in 2020, is among the front runners in the single-serve coffee product manufacturing category. Idei and Hashitani will focus on further advising on and evolving the company’s “commitment to revolutionizing the way U.S. consumers drink coffee each and every day,” it said.
NuZee CEO & President Masa Higashida has been CEO since October 2014, and Chairman of the Board since April 2013.[Courtesy photo]
“I am honored to have Mr. Idei and Mr. Hashitani serve as special advisors for NuZee,” Masa Higashida, president and CEO of NuZee, said in a statement.
“They both bring a wealth of experience to our company as forward-thinking leaders that have successfully led innovation and transformation of many reputable corporations,” he said. “We look forward to the impact that they are expected to bring with their new roles, including to help NuZee continue to execute on its mission to be an innovative coffee company in the U.S.”
During Idei’s tenure as CEO, he led Sony through a major transformation from a product manufacturing-centric company to a global digital organization. He has also served on the board of directors for companies such as General Motors, Baidu, Lenovo, and Nestlé.
Yoshinori Hashitani
Hashitani also previously worked at Sony with Idei as the lead of the CEO Strategy Office. He has held several executive leadership positions, spearheading Sony Group brand management, general affairs, investor relations, corporate communication, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Nobuyuki Idei says he’s excited to take on the new role: “I will now have the opportunity to support Masa Higashida who aligns with my vision to further bring success to this company,” he said in a statement. “NuZee’s approach to eco-friendly coffee product innovation provides the company with a great opportunity to tap into one of the largest coffee markets in the world.”
In November, NuZee said its partner Cuvée Coffee, a nationally recognized specialty coffee roaster, announced its expansion into more 3,000 Walmart stores in the country. NuZee produces Cuvée Coffee’s single-serve filter bags as its partner manufacturer.
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Quincy Preston contributed to this report.
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