Ajinomoto İstanbul Appoints Satoshi Kitamura as New CEO

Founded in 1909 with a sales network spanning 130 countries, 120 factories in 36 countries and over 33,000 employees, Satoshi Kitamura has been appointed CEO of Ajinomoto Istanbul, Japan's largest food company.

Ajinomoto, which continues to grow through strong investments in Turkey, acquired 50 percent of Kükre Gıda A.Ş. in 2013 and became the full owner of the remaining shares through an agreement signed on 17 August 2017. Ajinomoto also acquired Örgen Gıda, which produces Bizim Mutfak, one of Turkey's leading food brands, from Yıldız Holding in 2017, thereby strengthening its investments in Turkey. Satoshi Kitamura, who served as Vice Chairman and Executive Board Member responsible for Marketing within Ajinomoto, became the new Chief Executive Officer of Ajinomoto Turkey as of 31 March.

WHO IS SATOSHI KITAMURA?
Satoshi Kitamura, appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Ajinomoto Istanbul, completed his academic education at the University of Memphis (UT) in the United States with an MBA degree. Beginning his professional career in 1996 at the global food giant Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kitamura held senior management roles within the group in strategic departments such as Brand and Product Management and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Public Relations.
He strengthened his international experience through his representation of the "Ghana Nutrition Project" conducted between 2011-2017 and subsequently as General Manager of the Nutrition Division, and served as East Africa Director at Promasidor between 2019-2024. Combining his global vision with operational success, Satoshi Kitamura has been serving since 2024 as Vice President (VP) of Ajinomoto Istanbul and Executive Board Member responsible for Marketing, managing strategic processes in the Turkish market. Appointed as CEO of Ajinomoto Istanbul as of April 2026, Kitamura will lead the company towards its sustainable growth and innovation goals in Turkey.