Mr Hajimu Maeda was elected Chairman of the WANO Governing Board on 17 March 2002 to serve a two-year term from July 2002.

Mr Maeda’s career at Kansai Electric Power Company (EPC), the second largest power company in Japan, spans more than 40 years. Mr Maeda served as executive vice president and in this position he was responsible for all nuclear power activities in Kansai EPC. In addition, he served as executive director and member of the Board since 1989. In June 2001 Mr Maeda was named Senior Adviser at Kansai EPC.

Kansai EPC serves about 12 million customers in an area that includes Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara. The company operates 11 nuclear power units with a total installed capacity of 9,768 MW.

From 1999 to 2001, Mr Maeda also served as chairman of the nuclear power development committee of the Federation of Electric Power Companies (FEPCO) in Japan. In this capacity, he promoted the safe operation of nuclear power plants in Japan, contributed to the development of the Rokkasho nuclear fuel cycle project, and coordinated policy between the government and the Japanese nuclear utilities. After the criticality accident at JCO in 1999, Mr Maeda led the Japanese nuclear industry in an effort to establish Nuclear Safety Network, an industrywide association aimed at enhancing safety culture and improving the performance of its members.

His international activities include a five-year term with the World Bank in Washington, D.C. in the mid-1970s in which he was responsible for financing power projects and providing technical assistance in developing countries. He served as the principal representative of Kansai EPC to the Uranium Institute (now the World Nuclear Association), and served on that organisation’s executive committee from 1999 to 2001. In addition, he has been a frequent speaker and participant in international nuclear conferences and symposiums.

He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1958 from the University of Tokyo. In October 1998, he was awarded the title of Knight of the National Order of Merit (Chevalier dans l'Ordre National du Merite) by the French Government.