Tetsuji Kawamura, President and CEO, Sharp Corporation　

2026.09.19

Standing close to people and creating a future just a step ahead.

■ Profile
Born November 10, 1961. After joining Sharp Corporation in April 1984, he held various positions including Head of European Marketing and President of SEE (European Headquarters) (October 2014), Representative of Europe and President of SEE (September 2016), Representative of the Americas and Chairman of SEC (US Sales Company) (August 2017), General Manager of Smart Business Solutions Division (April 2022), and Senior Managing Executive Officer and Head of Smart Office Business Group (June 2024), before becoming President and CEO in April 2026.

Sharp supports various aspects of daily life, from home appliances to industrial equipment. The company started with a belt buckle invented by its founder, Tokuji Hayakawa, and later developed the "Ever-Ready Mechanical Pencil," which also became the origin of the company's name. Since then, it has continued to grow while creating numerous innovative products. This time, we interviewed Tetsuji Kawamura, President and CEO, about what he values as president, his outlook for Sharp's future, and his message to university students.

After graduating from high school, I went on to Osaka University of Foreign Studies (now the Faculty of Foreign Studies, Osaka University) and majored in English. Although I graduated from a foreign language university, I never obtained a passport during my student days, which often surprised those around me. At the time, students in the English department were required to write their graduation theses in English, and I remember writing dozens of pages of my thesis on a typewriter.
During my student days, I enjoyed browsing the electronics district in Nipponbashi, Osaka. Window shopping and looking at electronic products was one of my hobbies.
One of the main reasons I joined Sharp was that at the time, they had a recruitment program for their overseas business division, which aligned with my student-day dream of one day working in a job where I could be active overseas. I also felt a sense of familiarity with the company as it is based in the Kansai region, and I felt it was a company with a very warm and welcoming atmosphere.

■Sharp: Close to people's lives

In September 2025, we established our corporate slogan, "Half a step ahead of people's wishes." We believe that we are always there for people in their daily lives, from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep. A key characteristic of our company is that we handle a wide range of products, not only home appliances but also industrial equipment.
For example, Sharp's multi-function copiers account for approximately 6% of the market share in convenience stores. Their use is increasing not only for copying but also for issuing certificates such as resident registration certificates and printing photos and stickers related to fan activities. Furthermore, Sharp holds over 4% of the market share for payment machines at self-service gas stations. Recently, they have also been developing parking solutions that utilize cameras to manage entry, exit, and parking time, eliminating the need for gates and flaps.
As we consider the future of Sharp, we believe that AI will be a crucial technology. "Physical AI," where AI is implemented in actual "things," will become even more widespread. Sharp has always manufactured and provided "things," from home appliances to industrial equipment. Going forward, we believe that leveraging "physical AI" will become a major strength for Sharp.

■Sharp's DNA, passed down since its founding

Sharp has a DNA that has been passed down since its founding. Tokuji Hayakawa, who founded the company in 1912, valued the idea of "creating products that other companies will want to imitate" as he developed the business into an electronics manufacturer.
Sharp was the first company to equip mobile phones with cameras. Sharp also played a significant role in the widespread adoption of flat-screen televisions, which are commonplace today. We have always strived to make people's lives more convenient and to spread that convenience. This spirit, along with our long-standing management philosophy and principles, is something we intend to cherish going forward.
The most important thing for this is VOC (Voice of Customer). It is by interacting with customers that we understand their problems. "Half a step ahead" means uncovering even areas where they are not currently experiencing problems and getting ahead of them as much as possible.
One of the things I've been focusing on since taking office is internal branding. Cultivating a brand image is necessary not only externally but also internally. A company where employees can work comfortably ultimately leads to improved performance. Therefore, I value internal communication and start by letting people get to know me.

■ Leveraging diversity to create new value

To create new value, we want to attract a wide range of people who are willing to think outside the box and take on new challenges. We believe diversity is essential because a diverse range of ideas can be born when people with different perspectives come together.
I believe AI should be a tool that helps us become aware of various options. On the other hand, I think that making eye contact and providing customer service while feeling the warmth of human connection is something only humans can do. I believe that even while utilizing AI, the final decision should be made by humans.

■ We are entering an era where "AI is used for work and AI is used for daily life."

Having emerged from a period of financial difficulty, recovered, and undergone structural reforms, my mission now is to move the company into a growth phase. While continuing to enhance the value of our existing products, I also want to create new pillars of business. One of these is AI. As AI expands from generative AI to AI agents and then to physical AI, I believe the demand for infrastructure such as AI servers will also grow. Another is the space sector. Sharp possesses technology for solar cells for space use, and recently has been focusing on satellite communications. I want to leverage the technologies we have cultivated over many years for miniaturizing and improving the performance of mobile phones to make AI and space the next pillars of our business.
In the future, we envision becoming a company that uses AI to make people's lives more convenient, with a focus on "AI for living and AI for working."
Recently, there's also a product called an ice slurry refrigerator. It cools beverages to the point of almost freezing, and drinking it is expected to lower core body temperature, making it effective for preventing heatstroke and coping with the heat. It's actually being used on construction sites and other places, making it a very timely product. We want to expand our efforts into these kinds of fields, going beyond the boundaries of our usual products.

■Message to university students

We warmly welcome anyone who shares Sharp's direction and wants to work with us. Those with experience have the valuable asset of "experience." On the other hand, younger people have the "ability to sense trends unique to their age" and the "ability to think of new things." We want people of various ages and with different ways of thinking to work together while respecting each other's differences.
I owe my current success largely to the opportunities I was given to gain experience abroad since my twenties. Sending young employees without overseas experience abroad is an initial investment for the company. I believe that I am where I am today because I was given such opportunities. Currently, overseas sales account for more than half of our total business revenue, and we want to increase this further. Just like me, we intend to create more opportunities for ambitious employees to gain experience abroad.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on November 20, 2026, Haruna Shoji, a second-year student at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences

Sena Yamahata (2nd year, Musashino Art University) / Seisei Ishii (2nd year, Musashino Art University) / Tatsushi Harada (2nd year, Nihon University) / Kenhiko Yamada (1st year, Hosei University) / Mai Wakao (4th year, International Christian University) / Aoba Watanabe (2nd year, Hosei University) / Haruna Shoji (4th year, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences)