AOI Pro names a new president

Tokyo-based production house AOI Pro has appointed a new president, Hajime Ushioda, who will take on the role in January. He replaces president and CEO Yasuhito Nakae.

Ushioda has been at the company since 1996 and has produced work for Coca-Cola, Nissan, Nike, Adidas, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Kao, Mercedes-Benz and Haagen Dazs, winning numerous national and international awards.

Most recently, Ushioda served as vice-president, a role in which he helped AOI Pro expand internationally through acquisitions in Malaysia and Vietnam. Ushioda was not immediately available for further comment on his appointment.

Nakae is also president of AOI TYO Holdings, a joint holding company formed between AOI Pro and TYO (another major Japanese production house) last January. He will continue in that role and will become a managing officer for AOI Pro in January. However, he plans to resign from the latter position in March, according to the company.

Japan’s production industry is in a period of change, with companies such as AOI Pro experimenting with technology such as VR and becoming more involved in entertainment content, and clients looking to production houses to take on creative briefs directly. In addition, the sector is transitioning from print to digital delivery of TV ads, a move seen as long overdue but which has impacted the revenues of large production companies.

AOI Pro funded and produced the feature film 'Shoplifters', which won a Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.