**UNIQLO Appoints COO to Support Founder and CEO Tadashi Yanai**
**Fast Retailing, the parent company of UNIQLO, announces the appointment of Takeshi Okazaki as Chief Operating Officer (COO).**
**Okazaki, a 30-year veteran of Fast Retailing, will assume the role effective September 1, 2023, and will be responsible for overseeing the company’s global operations, including product development, sourcing, and manufacturing.**
**He will report directly to Tadashi Yanai, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Fast Retailing, and will work closely with him to drive the company’s continued growth and expansion.**
**Yanai, who has led Fast Retailing for over four decades, has been instrumental in the company’s success, establishing UNIQLO as a global brand renowned for its affordable, high-quality basics.**
**In recent years, Fast Retailing has expanded its portfolio of brands beyond UNIQLO, acquiring J Brand, Theory, and Helmut Lang.**
**The appointment of Okazaki as COO is seen as a strategic move by Yanai to strengthen the company’s leadership team and position it for continued success in the global retail landscape.**
**Okazaki has extensive experience in various aspects of Fast Retailing’s business, having held senior positions in product development, sourcing, and operations.**
**He has also played a key role in the company’s international expansion, overseeing the launch and growth of UNIQLO in new markets.**
**Yanai expressed confidence in Okazaki’s abilities, saying, .
