Inside Hitachi’s risk-taking path to profitability

Once a well-known consumer electronics brand, Hitachi has undergone a radical transformation in recent years, and racked up two years of impressive profits in the process. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the man behind the change, president Hiroaki Nakanishi, who has taken an aggressive approach in turning the company around. Jettisoning unprofitable portions of the company — Hitachi sold off its hard drive business in March, and its television department underwent a dramatic shake-up last year — Nakanishi has instead focused Hitachi on becoming the company that powers our devices behind the scenes. It’s a dramatic two-year transformation, and one that Nakanishi was able to pull off well before rivals like Sony realized dramatic steps were needed. If you’re curious to read how he did it — and you happen to be a WSJ subscriber — the article is definitely worth the read.