SMS Co., Ltd. Announces New Management Structure
On June 19, 2026, SMS Co., Ltd., headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, held its 23rd regular shareholders' meeting and a board of directors meeting, where it decided upon a new management structure aimed at enhancing corporate governance and fostering further business growth.
New Appointments in Leadership
As part of the new management system, several key appointments were announced.
- - Audit Committee Members: Tetsuro Harada and Aiko Ota join as external directors, while Makoto Yasuda and Takeshi Kawasaki are appointed as external directors.
- - Transition for Toyotarou Suzumura: After serving as an external director and audit committee member since June 2020, Toyotarou Suzumura will now take on the role of Technical Advisor following his departure from the position during the recent shareholders' meeting.
With this reshuffled leadership team, the company aims to enhance its governance framework while accelerating growth in its various business segments.
Profiles of Key Executive Members
1.
Masaki Takahata (President and Representative Director)
Born in April 1984, Masaki graduated from the University of Tokyo with a degree in economics in 2007. After joining AZSA Audit Corporation, he transitioned to Frontier Management Co., Ltd., before joining SMS in 2013. He served as CFO for the MIMS Group before being appointed CEO in 2021 and later as the President in January 2026.
2.
Nobuko Takagi (External Director and Audit Committee Member)
Nobuko founded COEING AND COMPANY, focusing on new business development and corporate governance consulting. She has previously worked in corporate planning at NEC Corporation and was engaged in domestic and international M&A at GCA Savvian. She has held her current external director role since June 2022.
3.
Tetsuro Harada (External Director and Audit Committee Member)
Tetsuro joined the management of Dream Incubator after obtaining his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley. Since 2020, he has been leading the company as CEO and has a rich experience in governance and corporate strategy. He is also involved with several other firms and has impressive experience as an external director.
4.
Aiko Ota (External Director and Audit Committee Member)
Aiko, a registered lawyer since 2015, specializes in labor and litigation cases for foreign companies. She has become a partner at her law firm as of September 2025, focusing on corporate legal affairs, compliance, and governance structures for international businesses.
5.
Makoto Yasuda (External Director)
Co-founder of BrainPad, Makoto has been a pivotal figure in data analytics and machine learning since the company's inception. He transitioned to focus on supporting emerging SaaS companies while holding a significant role in SMS's strategic direction as an external director since June 2026.
6.
Takeshi Kawasaki (External Director)
With experience in corporate finance and private equity investments, Takeshi has worked across various financial institutions and held crucial management roles at LifeNet Insurance. His understanding of capital markets and corporate strategy positions him well as a board member.
7.
Toyotarou Suzumura (Technical Advisor)
As a professor at the University of Tokyo and a computer scientist, Toyotarou has played significant roles in AI and large-scale language model research. He has been instrumental in technology initiatives and will continue to contribute to SMS as a technical advisor.
Continued Leadership
There will be no changes to other members, including Ken Yamamoto, who has been heading the Medical Welfare Career Promotion Headquarters and the Medical Career Business Headquarters.
For more details about SMS's management team, please visit their official webpage:
Management Team.
About SMS Co., Ltd.
Founded in 2003 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange since 2011, SMS aims to enhance the quality of life in an aging society by building an information infrastructure that connects users, caregivers, and businesses. With a workforce of approximately 4,660, SMS is at the forefront of providing essential services within healthcare and senior living sectors. For further information, visit
SMS Co., Ltd..