Photo/Illutration Takeshi Saito, president of Eneos Holdings Inc., was dismissed for inappropriately hugging a woman at a social gathering while drunk. (Kenji Izawa)

Eneos Holdings Inc., a major oil vendor, announced on Dec. 19 the dismissal of its president for inappropriately hugging a woman at a social gathering while drunk.

The dismissal of Takeshi Saito, 61, marks the second consecutive year in which top executives have departed the company due to misconduct toward women.

Former Chairman Tsutomu Sugimori resigned in August last year over allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman.

“We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to all our stakeholders,” Seiichiro Nishioka, an outside director and audit and supervisory committee member, said at a news conference.

According to Eneos Holdings, a whistleblower reported the incident in late November, and external lawyers and others conducted an investigation.

Saito reportedly responded to the investigation, saying that he does not remember hugging the woman.

Although there were no other eyewitness accounts, the company concluded that Saito was drunk and hugged the woman.

“The issue lies in my excessive drinking, and I failed to control myself, for which I am deeply ashamed and sincerely apologize,” Saito said.

Eneos Holdings did not disclose the details of the misconduct, including the time, location or number of attendees at the social gathering, citing privacy concerns.

The company advised Executive Vice President Yasushi Yatabe, who also attended the gathering, to step down. Yatabe, who headed the company’s compliance department, resigned in response on Dec. 19.

The company also imposed a three-month, 30-percent salary reduction on Senior Vice President Kotaro Sunaga for “making remarks that assumed what roles women should have” based on their gender.

Related News