Cleveland Golf/Srixon has announced that Hideki Sano will be named chairman of the company, effective January 1, 2013. Sano is filling the vacancy left by former CEO, Greg Hopkins, who resigned last week.
Sano joined the Sumitomo Group, which owns Cleveland Golf/Srixon, in 1977 after earning a Master’s degree in Engineering from Osaka University, in Japan. Sano worked his way up the ranks of the Dunlop Sports division, being named Executive Officer of Production Engineering in 2004 and was invited to become a member of the Board of Directors in 2007.
Based in Kobe, his most recent role was traveling the world as Executive Director of R&D, Production, Purchasing and Logistics, as well as maintaining his membership on the Board.
“I am looking forward to helping guide Cleveland Golf/Srixon to further becoming a globally recognized and trusted company through continuous efforts to enhance our brand values,” said Sano. As Executive Director of Dunlop Sports, Sano will continue to be responsible for Global R&D, Production, Purchasing, and Global Supply Chain and serve as General Manager of the North American Division.
