Mitsubishi Materials Corp. said on February 13, 2018, that Chairman Hiroshi Yao, will step aside to become adviser on April 1. Yao is believed to give up the current post to take the blame for product data falsification scandals at Mitsubishi Materials group companies that have come to light since autumn last year. He served as president of Mitsubishi Aluminum Co. for about two years from 2008. He is also slated to quit as a Mitsubishi Materials board member after a general meeting of shareholders to be held in late June this year. Other Mitsubishi Materials executives, including President Akira Takeuchi are expected to decide how to take responsibility after a special investigative committee set up by the company releases a final report on the misconduct as early as March.