Key facts
- Masahiro Sakane, former president of Komatsu, died on August 10, 2026, at age 85.
- He led Komatsu as president from 2001 to 2007.
- Sakane also served as vice chair of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren).
- He was instrumental in Komatsu's global expansion and recovery from a significant deficit.
- Sakane received the Deming Prize in 2008 and the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in 2014.
Masahiro Sakane, the former president of Japanese construction machinery maker Komatsu, died on August 10, 2026, at the age of 85 due to illness. Sakane led Komatsu as president from 2001 to 2007 and also served as vice chair of the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren.
Sakane joined Komatsu as a design engineer in 1963 and rose through the ranks, becoming president and CEO in 2001. He took the helm during a period when Komatsu faced an 80 billion yen deficit, but implemented structural reforms that led to a V-shaped recovery, achieving a 33 billion yen operating profit by March 2003. Under his leadership, Komatsu expanded globally into emerging markets such as China, Southeast Asia, India, and Africa, recording 170 billion yen in ordinary profit in fiscal 2007 and reaching 2 trillion yen in sales by fiscal 2009, becoming the world's second-largest construction machinery manufacturer.
His tenure was recognized with the Deming Prize in 2008 and the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in 2014. Sakane also held various other influential positions, including chairman of the Japan Machine Tool Builders' Association, vice chairman of the Japan-Russia Economic Committee, and chairman of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy. He also served as an external director for several prominent companies, including Nomura Holdings, Tokyo Electron, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.