KDDI names Kohtaro Murasawa CEO of KDDI America and Telehouse America

KDDI has appointed Kohtaro Murasawa as president and CEO of KDDI America and Telehouse America, effective immediately, as the company pushes deeper into IoT, cybersecurity, peering and global messaging across the Americas. The move comes as KDDI looks to expand its digital infrastructure business and follows the departure of Satoshi Oishi to a new role in Japan.

Why it matters: - KDDI is putting a longtime global executive in charge of two key U.S. businesses as it tries to grow advanced ICT and digital infrastructure services in the Americas. - The leadership change is tied to demand for secure connectivity, cloud, IoT and data center services across cross-border enterprises. - The appointment supports KDDI’s broader push in digital transformation, cybersecurity, peering and global messaging.

What happened: - KDDI Corporation named Kohtaro Murasawa president and chief executive officer of KDDI America and Telehouse America, effective immediately. - Murasawa replaces Satoshi Oishi, who will return to Japan for a new leadership role within KDDI. - The announcement was made Oct. 1, 2026, in New York.

The details: - Murasawa has more than 30 years of international leadership experience at KDDI across the United States, Europe and Japan. - He has led global enterprise initiatives and worked on network, IoT and data center solutions for multinational customers. - Most recently, Murasawa was deputy general manager of KDDI’s Public Sector and Financial Industry Business Division. - In that role, he oversaw sales operations for corporate, government and major financial institution clients. - He also led delivery of WAN, IoT and data center solutions for regulated industries. - KDDI America and Telehouse America provide integrated services across network, cloud, IoT, AI, cybersecurity, global messaging, colocation and interconnection. - Telehouse America operates carrier-neutral data centers and a peering ecosystem that supports global connectivity. - KDDI America is a subsidiary of KDDI Corporation, which is one of Japan’s largest telecommunications companies and a Fortune Global 500 company. - Telehouse is a KDDI Group data center provider that works with more than 3,000 business partners, including carriers, mobile and content providers, enterprises, cloud providers and financial services companies. - Telehouse was established in 1989 and offers colocation services designed to speed market entry and enable secure interconnections. - KDDI Corporation says it serves more than 100 million customers worldwide. - KDDI has expanded beyond telecom into AI, finance, energy, retail and cybersecurity. - KDDI’s global business includes mobile services, IoT services for connected cars and data center connectivity, mainly in North America, Europe and Asia. - KDDI’s mid-term management strategy is called Power-to-Connect 2028. - KDDI America’s website is us.kddi.com. - Telehouse America’s website is telehouse.com. - KDDI’s corporate website is kddi.com/english. - KDDI also shared its LinkedIn page at LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - The appointment elevates a leader with direct experience in regulated industries, which suggests KDDI wants tighter alignment between enterprise sales and infrastructure growth. - Murasawa’s background in public sector and financial clients points to a focus on customers that need reliability, compliance and global reach. - Oishi’s departure appears to be part of a planned transition rather than a disruption, given the company’s emphasis on continuity and expanding key growth areas.

What's next: - Murasawa is expected to accelerate KDDI America and Telehouse America’s push into digital transformation, cybersecurity, IoT and digital infrastructure. - The companies plan to strengthen colocation and interconnection platforms to meet demand for secure, high-performance global services. - KDDI said it will continue using an integrated, end-to-end model to simplify cross-border operations for enterprise customers.

The bottom line: - KDDI is betting on an executive with global operating experience to deepen its U.S. presence and capture more demand for connected, secure infrastructure services in the Americas.