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Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Leadership History

Murata: CEO History

4 leaders · 1944 to present

Who is the CEO of Murata?

Norio Nakajima is the CEO of Murata, in the role since 2020. The first chief executive was Akira Murata, from 1944.

Current CEO
Norio Nakajima (since 2020)
First CEO
Akira Murata (1944)
Leaders documented
4
Founded
1944
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Norio NakajimaRepresentative Director and President2020Present6
Tsuneo MurataFormer President and Chairman2007202013
Yasutaka MurataPresident1991200716
Akira MurataFounder and President1944199147

Company Overview

Murata Manufacturing, headquartered in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto, makes the small passive and RF components that sit on almost every circuit board. It does not build finished consumer products. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (ticker 6981), employed 74,302 people on a consolidated basis, and has been led by President Norio Nakajima since 2020. The company is headquartered in Nagaokakyo, Japan. The world's foremost master of electronic ceramic components was founded in October 1944 in Kyoto, Japan, by Akira Murata as a tiny ceramic workshop, evolving into an indispensable global monopoly in multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and smartphone RF filters.

Norio Nakajima

Representative Director and President

2020 – Present

6 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Nakajima took over as president in 2020 and has led Murata's Vision 2030 strategy, which shifts the company's growth focus from smartphone-dependent passive components toward automotive electronics, e-mobility power solutions, and IT infrastructure components. He opened a dedicated automotive R&D center in Yokohama in December 2020 and has emphasized geographic diversification of manufacturing capacity beyond China amid rising trade and supply-chain risk.

Legacy

Under Nakajima, Murata has worked to reduce its historical dependence on smartphone-cycle demand by building out higher-reliability component lines for electric vehicles and data-center power applications, markets that carry longer design-in cycles and more stable demand than consumer electronics. He has also had to navigate a persistent slowdown in smartphone unit volumes globally, a market that historically drove the majority of Murata's MLCC demand, making the pivot toward automotive and data-center customers a matter of long-term revenue stability rather than simple diversification. He has also overseen expanded capital investment in Southeast Asian manufacturing sites, part of a broader effort across Japanese electronics makers to reduce single-country manufacturing concentration following pandemic-era supply disruptions.

Tsuneo Murata

Former President and Chairman

2007 – 2020

13 years

Key Decisions & Impact

As the son of founder Akira Murata, Tsuneo Murata served as president from 2007 to 2020, a period spanning the global rise of the smartphone and Murata's parallel growth into the dominant supplier of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for mobile devices. During his tenure the company completed the Peregrine Semiconductor and Sony battery acquisitions, extending Murata's footprint into RF semiconductors and energy storage. He became chairman in June 2020 when Nakajima succeeded him as president.

Legacy

His tenure is credited with scaling Murata's MLCC manufacturing capacity to meet rapid smartphone-driven demand while also diversifying the company's revenue base ahead of the eventual maturing of the smartphone market, positioning his successor to pivot the company toward automotive and industrial applications. As a member of the founding family, his leadership provided continuity through a period when many Japanese electronics conglomerates were restructuring or exiting businesses entirely, reinforcing Murata's identity as a family-influenced but professionally managed public company.

Yasutaka Murata

President

1991 – 2007

16 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Yasutaka Murata, elder son of the founder, became president in 1991.

Legacy

Murata grew with the mobile-phone market as a supplier of ceramic capacitors and filters. His brother Tsuneo Murata succeeded him in 2007.

Akira Murata

Founder and President

1944 – 1991

47 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Akira Murata founded the company in Kyoto in 1944 as a maker of ceramic capacitors.

Legacy

He incorporated Murata Manufacturing in 1950 and led it until 1991, when his son Yasutaka succeeded him.

Challenges & Strategic Context

Murata faces cyclical demand swings in smartphones, PCs, and consumer electronics; foreign exchange volatility because results are reported in yen while customers are global; and pricing pressure from other Asian component suppliers. Automotive and industrial demand can cushion cycles, but those markets also require high reliability, long qualification cycles, and ongoing capital investment.

Murata CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who is the President and CEO of Murata Manufacturing and when did his tenure begin?

Norio Nakajima became President and Representative Director of Murata Manufacturing in June 2020, becoming the first non-founding family member to lead the company as President in Murata's history.

What was Norio Nakajima's career path at Murata prior to assuming the presidency?

Joining Murata in 1988, Norio Nakajima spearheaded the company's communication module development, led the Module Business Unit, and served as Senior Executive Vice President overseeing global business operations.

Who served as President of Murata Manufacturing before Norio Nakajima?

Tsuneo Murata (son of founder Akira Murata) served as President from 2007 to 2020, leading the company through major globalization, 4G/5G mobile expansion, and strategic acquisitions before becoming Chairman of the Board.

Who was Yasutaka Murata and what was his contribution as past President?

Yasutaka Murata (eldest son of Akira Murata) served as President from 1991 to 2007, pioneering Murata's expansion into personal computers, GSM mobile phones, and global overseas production facilities.

What strategic milestones were achieved under President Norio Nakajima's leadership?

Norio Nakajima led Murata to record net sales exceeding ~$12.1 billion (¥1.8 trillion) JPY, navigated global semiconductor supply shortages, accelerated automotive MLCC production, and advanced Murata's Vision 2030 mid-term business plan.

How did leadership steer Murata during the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain crunch?

Under Nakajima, Murata implemented rigorous workplace infection controls, maintained continuous manufacturing operations, and expanded inventory buffer stocks to safeguard customer deliveries worldwide.

What is the leadership governance structure between the CEO and the Board of Directors at Murata?

Murata operates a strong corporate governance model with an Audit and Supervisory Committee, separating strategic oversight (led by Chairman Tsuneo Murata and independent directors) from operational execution (led by President Nakajima).

What vision has the CEO articulated for Murata's 'Vision 2030' corporate roadmap?

President Nakajima's Vision 2030 focuses on three-layer value creation: expanding core communication/automotive components, building recurring data/solution businesses, and achieving carbon neutrality across all production sites.

Who is Norio Nakajima and why was his appointment as CEO historic?

In June 2020, Norio Nakajima became President and CEO of Murata, making history as the first non-member of the founding Murata family to lead the corporation. Having spearheaded Murata's communication modules business and technical alliances, Nakajima was chosen to aggressively diversify Murata beyond consumer mobile devices into automotive EVs, industrial IoT, and AI data centers.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.