Seven & i Holdings appoints Ryuichi Isaka as group president

Seven & i Holdings has named Ryuichi Isaka, former head of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, as the next president of the retail group.

Isaka built his career as a product development expert for 7-Eleven until he became president of the subsidiary. He played a key role in launching the group´s Seven Premium.

The former 7-Eleven president has taken the new post in charge of Seven & i Holdings, Japan´s biggest retail group, after a tumultuous month that saw 83-year-old Toshifumi Suzuki resign from his chairman position after failing to oust the executive.

Isaka is supported by influential activist investor Daniel Loeb, who credits him for the growth of 7-Eleven Japan.

Seven & i also appointed Chief Administrative Officer Katsuhiro Goto vice-president of the group, while executive Kazuki Furuya will replace Isaka as president at Seven-Eleven Japan.