Kyoko Deguchi joined PHC Holdings Group as an independent external director four years ago when the company was preparing to be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. A 20-year veteran of the healthcare and chemical industries, she had previously worked for Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Stryker, and AbbVie.
In April 2024, Deguchi was selected as PHC’s President, Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer, replacing Shoji Miyazaki. Her move from helping to lead the company from the outside to being in charge, by herself, on the inside, was a challenge she has taken to with relish, embracing the ethos of “the buck stops here” to help guide PHC’s path.
Operating with a “One PHC” mindset, Deguchi focuses on bringing together the cultures and processes of the various companies under the PHC umbrella acquired under a single, cohesive mission. She has identified execution, speed, and integrity as key virtues as she helps PHC look to the future.
She’s been busy in her first year, having taken over on April 1, 2024. Last November 2024, PHC unveiled a “Value Creation Plan” to chart the company’s course through 2027, and there have been a handful of Board additions and exits over Deguchi’s first year as the company remakes itself in her image. She has said PHC’s 55-year history is “marked by continuous growth and expansion,” and her work is laser-focused on those twin goals.
With her impeccable credentials and leadership prowess, Deguchi is showing why, for PHC, she’s the right person at the right time.
