Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) Announces Changes in Corporate Management

12-05-2006: Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) decided at its board of directors meeting on changes in corporate management that will take effect early next year. SDK also decided to abolish the titles of Executive Vice President, Senior Managing Director and Managing Director. The term of directors, currently two years, will be shortened to one year subject to approval by the regular general meeting of shareholders in March 2007.

Mitsuo Ohashi, currently Representative Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors, will become Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors in late March, 2007.

Yasumasa Sasaki, currently Representative Director, Senior Managing Director, and Senior Managing Corporate Officer, will become Representative Director and Executive Vice-Presidential Corporate Officer on January 4, 2007. Tatsuo Sato, currently Senior Managing Director and Senior Managing Corporate Officer, will become Director and Senior Managing Corporate Officer. Norikuni Imoto, currently Managing Director and Managing Corporate Officer, will become Director and Senior Managing Corporate Officer. Managing Directors (Managing Corporate Officers) Koji Kudo and Tetsuo Tamada will become Director and Managing Corporate Officer.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi Nishimoto, Managing Director, Managing Corporate Officer, and Executive Officer, Petrochemicals Sector, will become Director and Special Advisor to Shoko Co., Ltd. effective January 4, 2007. He will resign as Director at the shareholders' meeting in March 2007 and become President of Shoko Co., Ltd.

Norio Masubuchi, Director, Corporate Officer, and Executive Officer, Chemicals Sector, will concurrently serve as Director of SDK and President of Union Showa K.K. as from January 4, 2007. He will resign as SDK Director and start serving exclusively as President of Union Showa in late March, 2007.

Toshio Ohi, currently Corporate Officer and General Manager, Chemicals Production Center, Chemicals Sector, will be appointed Corporate Officer and Executive Officer, Chemicals Sector effective January 4, 2007. Takashi Miyazaki, currently Corporate Officer and General Manager, Olefins and Organic Chemicals divisions, Petrochemicals Sector, will be appointed Corporate Officer and Executive Officer, Petrochemicals Sector, as well as General Manager, Olefins Division, also effective January 4, 2007. Ohi and Miyazaki will be elected Directors at the shareholders' meeting in March 2007.

Takao Fujiwara, Corporate Officer and General Manager, Ceramics Division, Inorganics Sector, will resign from the current position on January 3, 2007 and become Vice President of Showa Aluminum Can Corporation the following day.

Three new corporate officers will be appointed on January 4, 2007. They are Akira Sakamoto, General Manager, Corporate R&D Center, Technology Headquarters; Toru Takeuchi, General Manager, Purchasing Office; and Katsunobu Sato, General Manager, IR & PR Office. Takeuchi will be appointed General Manager, Organic Chemicals Division, Petrochemicals Sector. Sato will additionally take up the post of Assistant to Director in charge of Accounting, Finance and Information Systems offices.

Tadahiro Hashimoto will resign as Senior Chief Technologist (in charge of the Rare Earth business strategy) on January 3 and start serving exclusively as Chairman of Baotou Showa Rare Earth Hi-Tech New Materials Co., Ltd. and President of Ganzhou Zhaori Rare Earth New Materials Co., Ltd. as from January 4, 2007.

Kazuyuki Yokoo, General Manager, SPS Innovation Office, Technology Headquarters, will be elected Chief Technologist effective January 4, 2007. Hideo Yashima, General Manager, Electronics Materials Division, Electronics Sector, will be appointed Chief Technologist and Deputy Executive Officer, Electronics Sector on the same date.