17 October 2025
Chairman Masayoshi Matsumoto Receives Honorary OBE from His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom
Masayoshi Matsumoto, Chairman of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., received the award of Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) from His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom on October 16, 2025.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was established in 1917 by King George V. It is an honor awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the UK in a variety of fields, including the arts, science, charitable work, and public service.
This award recognizes Matsumoto鈥檚 leadership as Chairman of Sumitomo Electric Industries in contributing to a major investment to build the UK鈥檚 first high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power cable factory at the Port of Nigg in Scotland. The investment supports the UK government鈥檚 clean energy policy and demonstrates the company鈥檚 strong trust in the strategic partnership between the UK and Japan to realize a decarbonized society.
In addition, the award recognizes Matsumoto for his contributions as Chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation and as Deputy Chairman of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition to strengthen economic ties between the UK and Japan and to enhance the UK's presence in Japan.
Comment from Chairman Masayoshi Matsumoto:
鈥淚t is a tremendous honor to receive the prestigious Honorary OBE. Since establishing our first group company in the UK in 1972, Sumitomo Electric has built a strong and trusting relationship with the UK over more than half a century. Personally, during my time as President of Sumitomo Electric Europe S.A. (now Sumitomo Electric Europe Ltd.) and in other roles, I have positioned the UK as one of the company鈥檚 important bases in Europe and have actively promoted various business initiatives. I am deeply grateful that these efforts have been recognized by the UK government and other stakeholders. I humbly accept this significant honor and will continue to serve as a bridge between Japan and the UK to the best of my ability.鈥
The Sumitomo Electric Group will continue to contribute to the development of Japan-UK relations.