Shoji Itoh takes charge as new Managing Director for Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE

The new MD will be responsible for defining the strategic direction and business development across the Middle East & Africa region as well as reaching out to Panasonic's valuable customers.

"The Middle East & Africa region is an extremely important market for Panasonic as it has the fastest growing customer base with a significant understanding and appreciation of the new and innovative products being marketed by Panasonic," said Shoji Itoh, the newly appointed Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE & Panasonic Gulf FZE (Dubai, UAE). "My chief objectives to pursue business activities in this region include maximizing customer satisfaction to help them enrich their quality of life, adding extra emphasis on the progress and development of society and utilizing our diverse range of business activities to jointly grow with our esteemed business partners," he added.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is one of the world's leading manufacturers of electronic and electric products for the consumer, business and industrial use. Their products are well known to people around the globe as National, Panasonic & Technics.

Itoh has taken over as the Managing Director from Masato Tomita, who now holds the post of Executive Director Corporate Management Division for the CIS countries, Middle East and Africa. With this promotion, Tomita also becomes the Chairman of Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE.

Itoh is expected to bring an entirely new perspective to the Panasonic Middle East offices as he is considerably well-versed in the local and regional Arabic culture and tradition. A graduate from Meiji University, Japan, in 1975, Itoh has worked extensively with Matsushita Electric Company in the Middle East. He speaks Arabic fluently having studied the language at the American University in Cairo in 1978.

"My experience of working in Egypt, Kuwait and Riyadh has helped me to a large extent as it has given me an insider's perspective of the Middle East," said Itoh. "Understanding the regional culture and tradition has also enabled me to interact and socialize easily with the people besides enriching my own personal understanding of the Middle Eastern societies and their requirements."

Itoh has held a number of executive roles at Matsushita since 1991 when he was named Manager, Sales Planning Section, Corporate Management Division for Asia & the Middle East. With over 25 years experience and an extensive career with the Matsushita Group, Itoh's appointments also included Director, Sales Office for the Middle East & Africa, Corporate Management Division for the Middle East & Africa; Director, Human Development Center, Asia Matsushita Electric (Singapore) and Personnel Manager, Corporate Management Division for Asia & the Middle East.