Tokyo (SCCIJ) – GC Group, a Japanese specialist in dental products, has decided to conduct its global business from Lucerne in Switzerland. The global company will now be managed by the group’s Swiss subsidiary.
GC’s dental care range of products (© GC).
New leadership
GC Group was founded in 1921 and was based in the Japanese capital city of Tokyo until the end of 2022. With over 3,200 employees today, the company is active in the production and distribution of oral health materials in addition to associated devices and equipment. GC International AG is the multinational support company of GC in Tokyo.
The company overhauled its management structure. After the Extraordinary General Meeting on December 23, 2022, the four board members of GC Corporation (Japan) left the Management Board and moved to GC International AG “to act as full members of the Board of Directors and to make decisions for the entire GC Group”. Kiyotaka Nakao is the President & Chief Executive Officer and Makoto Nakao Chairman of the Board.
Vision 2031
GC is determined to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s leading dental company which forms part of its Vision 2031 strategy. Focusing on the next 100 years, GC Corporation and the GC Group set their management goals through 2031 and announced the Vision 2031 in February 2021.
“While achieving sustainable growth, GC strives to bring values in dental care to realize a healthy long-living society. Instead of just seeking No. 1 in sales volume, our goal is to become an ‘incomparable’ company for all the stakeholders of GC”, the vision says.
2-tier structure
To adapt to the upcoming era, GC established a “2-Tier” group management structure by locating the heart of GC Group management at GC International AG in Switzerland (Lucerne) and forming the Board, which includes outside directors, and the Executive Committee there.
According to its press release, sharply separating the authorization role and the executive role between the two tiers, the Board and the Executive Committee, the company aims to increase objectivity and transparency and strengthen corporate governance through swift decision-making and actions when it comes to major issues for the group.
Origins in Tokyo
GC’s product range includes glass ionomers and numerous products required for digital dentistry. The company covers the main markets in Europe and the USA and boasts comparatively large market volumes, although it manufactures the products at selected global locations.
The origins of GC Corporation lie in Tokyo where three young Japanese chemists laid the foundation in 1921 of the corporation. It manufactures around 600 product types and sells these in more than 100 countries around the world. GC International AG was established in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 2013 originally as the new management platform to lead activities in Europe, the US, and Asia.
