SUNNY SIDE UP Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Ryu Si-chau), which is responsible for the core business of SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP Inc., is pleased to announce that Hirokazu Kitagawa, who has been involved in numerous innovative brand development and advertising production projects for many years, has been appointed as Senior Strategic Advisor as of Tuesday, April 1st.

■Background of Appointment

At Suntory Holdings, Mr. Kitagawa has worked on numerous projects, including the development of “Malt Super Premium,” the prototype for the current The Premium Malt’s, as well as Japan’s first happoshu (low-malt beer), “Hops Nama,” and the beverage brands “Natchan” and “DAKARA,” as well as the advertising production for “Iemon,” “BOSS (Space Alien Jones Edition),” and “The Premium Malt’s (Yazawa Edition).” From 2017, he served as President and CEO of Sun-Ad Co., Ltd., and from 2021, he served as Chairman of the Board, advocating “a company that creates brands with creativity,” achieving record-high performance along with organizational reforms, and building a strong track record in management.

We believe that his wealth of knowledge and experience will create significant synergy not only in the branding domain but also in organizational development and system strengthening for our company, which aims to deliver new value to companies and society with “Let’s Have Fun!” as its core. Furthermore, by promoting the fusion of PR, marketing, and creative domains while advancing climate and system reforms for innovation, we will accelerate business growth and create more diverse and new “Let’s Have Fun!” experiences.

■Comments from Hirokazu Kitagawa

I have been involved in branding and top management at Suntory Holdings for over 40 years, working to improve corporate value. I strongly sympathize with SUNNY SIDE UP’s vision and innovation, and I am pleased to be able to assist as a Senior Strategic Advisor.

I believe that true branding involves creating happiness and a future for our clients and their customers, whether the method is PR, creative, or sales promotion. Going forward, we will continue to leverage our positive DNA of “たのしいさわぎをおこしたい (Let’s Have Fun!),” while promoting the fusion of PR, marketing, and creative domains, as well as climate and system reforms for innovation.

■Comment from Ryu Si-chau, President and Representative Director of SUNNY SIDE UP Inc.

Mr. Kitagawa has created numerous “たのしいさわぎ (Let’s Have Fun!) ” experiences at Suntory Holdings and Sun-Ad Co., Ltd. through the power of creativity and fostering organizational motivation.

We are confident that this appointment will further enhance our company’s business execution capabilities by adding his wealth of knowledge, humorous ideas, and energy to attract people. We also expect him to play a significant role in creating an environment and organization where each member can have free ideas and grow independently.

With the addition of a new professional to our team that values diversity, we will continue to deliver more diverse and new “たのしいさわぎ (Let’s Have Fun!) ” to society.

■Hirokazu Kitagawa Profile

Born in Kyoto City in 1959. After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University in 1982, he joined Suntory Co., Ltd. After working in the product development and advertising departments, he developed products such as “Malt Super Premium,” the prototype for the current The Premium Malt’s, Japan’s first happoshu (low-malt beer) “Hops Nama,” and beverages such as “Natchan” and “DAKARA.” After that, as General Manager of Advertising Production and General Manager of Food Advertising, he was involved in the advertising production of “Iemon,” “BOSS (Space Alien Jones Edition),” “The Premium Malt’s (Yazawa Edition),” “PEPSI (Momotaro Edition),” “Suntory Natural Water,” and “Tokucha.” In 2014, he was appointed Executive Officer and CMO of Suntory Food International. In 2017, he became President and CEO of Sun-Ad Co., Ltd., and from 2021, he served as Chairman of the Board, retiring from the same position in March 2025.