BARRINGTON, NJ-Edmund Optics (EO), provider of optical components, has appointed Timothy Paul Kennedy to the position of president, Edmund Optics Japan. The company also appointed Toshio Horii as general manager of EO Akita, Japan, a division that provides precision grinding and polishing of spherical optics.

Kennedy replaces veteran Isao Wakasa, who pioneered the development of the EO sales location in February 1994, and retired in May 2009. “EO is dedicated to maintaining and building an even stronger presence by investing in manufacturing and marketing operations in Japan,” says Kennedy. “We are a global company and our Japanese relationships and marketplace are a major part of Edmund Optics.”

Kennedy’s responsibilities include sales, marketing and operations strategy for the Tokyo team, as well as regional participation in the strategic sales growth for all of Asia. He brings five years of experience directing the sales and marketing team at EO Singapore, including the development of the Korean office, multiple Asian Web sites and a fully translated Japanese master source book.

Horii, a native of Akita, brings more than 20 years of manufacturing experience both in the United States and Japan. “Horii’s focus will be to further develop the factory’s optical manufacturing capabilities, concentrating in the next months on training the staff on innovative manufacturing techniques and production planning with the goal of satisfying the growing needs of EO’s customers,” says Walter Czajkowski, vice president of global manufacturing.