It is with profound sadness that NEC Corporation announces the passing of former Chairman Tadahiro Sekimoto. Dr. Sekimoto served as both President and Chairman during his 54-year tenure at NEC, and held the position of Chairman Emeritus at Japan’s Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies until his passing. He was 80 years old when he passed away from a stroke on November 11 at Ebara hospital in Tokyo.

Dr. Sekimoto made significant contributions to the advancement of communications technologies during his lifetime, including the design of early pulse-code modulation equipment. An IEEE Life Fellow and a foreign associate of the National Academy of Engineering in the U.S., Dr. Sekimoto has been recognized for his contributions to communications with numerous awards. In addition to its Medal of Honor, the IEEE also awarded him its Alexander Graham Bell Medal, and he is a recipient of the IEEE Communication Society’s Edwin Howard Armstrong Award.

He has also received the American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics’ Aerospace Communications Award. In 1998, Dr. Sekimoto was conferred with the Ordre National de la Legion d'honneur (Commandeur), the highest decoration in France. Honors in Japan include the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

A private funeral service will be held by Dr. Sekimoto’s family. NEC and Japan’s Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies will hold a special memorial service to remember Dr. Sekimoto. Details of the service will be notified at a later date.