Full Name
Kanako Fukuda
Job Title
Managing Executive Officer
Company
Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd
Speaker Bio
Kanako Fukuda is Managing Executive Officer of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
Sumitomo Chemical was established in 1913 to manufacture fertilizers from sulfur dioxides emitted from smelting operations at the Besshi copper mine in Niihama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, with the aim of solving environmental problems caused by the emissions.
“We must not merely seek business profits but must contribute broadly to society through business activities.” – Sumitomo Chemical, founded with the dual goals of eliminating pollution and helping increase crop yields, has upheld this founding principles as it has evolved in keeping the changing times. At present, the Sumitomo Chemical Group operates business across the globe, and provides products that support a wide variety of industries and help people’s lives.
Ms. Fukuda is now leading the sustainability initiatives at the Sumitomo Chemical Group.
She was Managing Director of Sumitomo Chemical Europe (Brussels, Belgium) from April 2020 to March 2024. She was General Manager of Sustainability Department from April 2013 to March 2020.
During these periods, she met SDGs, and embarked on innovative and pioneering activities for sustainability by mobilizing more than 30,000 employees in the Group with a strong conviction that “it is the precisely chemical companies like us who can contribute to SDGs.”
She also led SDG-related initiatives in and outside the Group, including contribution to establishing WEPs (Women Empowerment Principles) subcommittee in Global Compact Network Japan.
Ms. Fukuda started her career in 1988 as a researcher at Sumitomo Chemical and succeeded in developing unique polymer antioxidants. She was in sales department of polymer additives from 2002 to 2013.
Sumitomo Chemical was established in 1913 to manufacture fertilizers from sulfur dioxides emitted from smelting operations at the Besshi copper mine in Niihama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, with the aim of solving environmental problems caused by the emissions.
“We must not merely seek business profits but must contribute broadly to society through business activities.” – Sumitomo Chemical, founded with the dual goals of eliminating pollution and helping increase crop yields, has upheld this founding principles as it has evolved in keeping the changing times. At present, the Sumitomo Chemical Group operates business across the globe, and provides products that support a wide variety of industries and help people’s lives.
Ms. Fukuda is now leading the sustainability initiatives at the Sumitomo Chemical Group.
She was Managing Director of Sumitomo Chemical Europe (Brussels, Belgium) from April 2020 to March 2024. She was General Manager of Sustainability Department from April 2013 to March 2020.
During these periods, she met SDGs, and embarked on innovative and pioneering activities for sustainability by mobilizing more than 30,000 employees in the Group with a strong conviction that “it is the precisely chemical companies like us who can contribute to SDGs.”
She also led SDG-related initiatives in and outside the Group, including contribution to establishing WEPs (Women Empowerment Principles) subcommittee in Global Compact Network Japan.
Ms. Fukuda started her career in 1988 as a researcher at Sumitomo Chemical and succeeded in developing unique polymer antioxidants. She was in sales department of polymer additives from 2002 to 2013.
Speaking At
