Aflac Incorporated announced that Masatoshi Koide, who currently serves as deputy president of Aflac Japan, will be promoted to president and chief operating officer of Aflac Japan. Hiroshi Yamauchi, who currently serves as president and chief operating officer of Aflac Japan, will assume the role of vice chairman of Aflac Japan. These changes will become effective July 1, 2017.

Koide originally joined Aflac in 1998 and remained with the company until March 2006, after which time he worked for Nikko Asset Management. He rejoined Aflac again in 2008 as vice president, was promoted to senior vice president in 2012 and to first senior vice president in 2013. In 2015, he was promoted to executive vice president, Planning, Government Affairs & Research, Corporate Communications, Legal, Risk Management, Investment, Compliance, Customer Services, and General Affairs, and in 2016 he was promoted to deputy president of Aflac Japan. He earned his bachelor's degree from Tokyo University and his LL.M. degree from Cornell Law School, and he is a member of the New York State Bar.  

Yamauchi joined Aflac Japan in 1976 in the Actuarial Department, where he served in positions of increasing responsibility and subsequently advanced through the ranks of various other operational areas. He was promoted to vice president in 1999, to first senior vice president in 2002 and to the additional role of chief administrative officer from 2005 to 2009. He assumed the role of executive vice president in 2012, with oversight responsibilities for Planning, Government Affairs & Research, Legal, Corporate Communications, Human Resources and IT, and was promoted to president and chief operating officer of Aflac Japan in 2015.

Commenting on the announcement, Aflac Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel P. Amos said: "In his 41 years with Aflac, Yamauchi-san has contributed greatly to our company in so many ways, including his leadership and dedication to enhancing our framework for creating products and the customer-driven service we provide. He has enhanced vital aspects of our company with his results-oriented approach, enabling us to deliver on our promises to our policyholders. We will appreciate his support of Aflac Japan from a broader perspective. At the same time, I know Koide-san will continue to do an exceptional job in his new role. He has demonstrated dedicated and effective leadership. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work even more closely with him as we advance Aflac's ability to reach more and more Japanese citizens throughout Japan."