Date of birth: June 9, 1966
Appointment as an executive officer of Meiji Holdings: April 2025

Keiko Kawahata oversees the Meiji Group’s research as head of Meiji Holdings’ Wellness Science Labs.

Keiko has been involved in the Group’s research and development since joining Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd., in1989, where she mainly worked on developing nutritional foods, beauty supplements, and health products. Following the reorganization of the company into Meiji Co., Ltd., she was assigned to lead the Nutrition Research Department, Food Science & Technology Research Laboratories, R&D Division in 2018.

Since 2021, Keiko has been striving to refine the nutritional benefits of Meiji brand products to help solve health issues facing consumers. As part of these efforts, she played a key role in developing the company’s proprietary Meiji Nutritional Profiling System (Meiji NPS) and in planning and executing research strategies in its R&D Total Oversight Department, R&D Division.

Recognizing these achievements and leadership skills, Meiji Co., Ltd., appointed Keiko as head of the R&D Total Oversight Department, R&D Division and its first female executive officer in 2022.

In April 2025, Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd., appointed Keiko as an executive officer and head of its Wellness Science Labs. In this role, Keiko is exploring new businesses opportunities and markets while utilizing her expertise in research and product development to foster innovation throughout the Meiji Group.