Morinaga America Inc. (MAI), Irvine-based distributor of chewy fruit-flavored candy Hi-Chew, has appointed tenured Morinaga executive Teruhiro (Terry) Kawabe as Chief Executive Officer.
Kawabe has held multiple leadership roles with Morinaga spanning 30 years. As CEO of Morinaga Asian Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand, Kawabe grew Hi-Chew’s distribution footprint throughout New Zealand and Australia, tripling sales in three years, the company said. As COO, he introduced Hi-Chew to the mainstream market through grocery, drug, and convenience distribution channels.
In his new role, Kawabe will focus on manufacturing, distributing and expanding the Hi-Chew brand across the North and South American markets.
With this shift at the executive level, former MAI CEO Masanori Yasunaga will be named Chairman of the Board.
