#Japan #Tokyo #NetApp #Chiharu Saito #Shihab Dugra

NetApp Revamps Leadership Structure to Elevate Focus on Japanese Market

In a significant move to enhance its operations in Japan, NetApp, a leading Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, has announced a restructuring of its leadership team. Effective June 16, 2025, the company will see a notable transition with the appointment of Shihab Dugra as Chairman and Chiharu Saito stepping into the role of President and CEO.

NetApp recognizes Japan as a key strategic market, and the leadership changes reflect its commitment to accelerating growth and furthering customer success amid the transformative AI landscape. Andrew Sotiropoulos, Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Asia-Pacific region at NetApp, expressed his optimism about these changes, stating, "With Dugra as Chairman and Saito as President, we believe we can deepen our collaboration with customers and strengthen our partnerships domestically." He further emphasized that this new structure will allow them to leverage their Intelligent Data Infrastructure, driving customer success in the AI era.

Shihab Dugra, now the Chairman, brings with him extensive experience and a robust industry network. His strategic vision is expected to guide the company as it focuses on innovation, stellar customer service, and nurturing talent. Dugra expressed his enthusiasm for the leadership expansion, remarking, "This move underscores the significant foundation NetApp has built over the years in the Japanese market. With Saito's leadership, I am confident that we can enhance our agility and innovation in service delivery and accelerate growth by exploring new customer segments."

Chiharu Saito joins NetApp with over 30 years of experience in the IT industry. In his prior role as an Executive Officer at Oracle Japan, he oversaw the Cloud Systems Division. Saito has also spent 22 years at Hewlett-Packard Japan, where he managed the storage division. His wealth of expertise is poised to benefit NetApp’s expansion initiatives moving forward. "I am honored to join NetApp at such an exciting time as we harness the power of data, AI, and cloud to carve out a unique position in the industry," Saito stated.

He emphasized the opportunity for Japanese companies to build Intelligent Data Infrastructure, which is pivotal for maintaining agility and competitiveness in leveraging AI’s vast potential. Saito committed to enhancing customer value and fostering growth opportunities through collaboration with his team.

About the Leaders

Shihab Dugra
Chairman, Executive Officer at NetApp Japan
With over three decades of experience in Japan’s IT sector, Dugra has a proven track record in development, engineering, services, sales, and business development. Before joining NetApp, he served as the Senior Managing Executive Officer at Cisco Systems, overseeing their service business. He has also held significant roles in various sectors, including oil, gas, chemicals, power, and pulp industries.

Chiharu Saito
President and CEO, Executive Officer at NetApp Japan
Saito’s career includes a significant tenure at Oracle Japan, where he led the Cloud Systems Division. His previous experience at Hewlett-Packard Japan saw him in the role of General Manager of the storage division, where he drove product development and solution provision.

About NetApp

NetApp is an intelligent data infrastructure company that combines unified data storage, integrated data services, and operational workload services to enhance customer possibilities in a rapidly changing environment. Utilizing observability and AI, NetApp builds seamless infrastructure that achieves industry-leading data management. By providing the only enterprise-grade storage services fully integrated into the world's largest cloud, the company ensures remarkable flexibility. NetApp’s data services generate data superiority through robust cybersecurity, governance, and application agility. Its operational workload services continuously optimize infrastructure and workload performance by leveraging observability and AI. Regardless of data types, workloads, or environments, NetApp transforms customers' data infrastructures to maximize their business potential. For more information, visit NetApp's website.

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