Osaka City is in the process of adjusting to appoint Kakumoto Keiji, a 63-year-old senior advisor at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, as the next president of Osaka Metro. This transition will take place as the current president, Kawai Hideaki, 71, is set to become chairman. The city aims to further privatize the management and organization of Osaka Metro by continuing to recruit leaders from the private sector, following the precedent set by Kawai, who came from Panasonic.

Osaka Metro, established in April 2018, took over the subway and bus operations from the Osaka City Transportation Bureau and is currently fully owned by the city, which holds all shares and managerial rights. With the expected end of visitor transportation services for the Osaka-Kansai Expo and Kawai's long tenure reaching eight years, a generational change is deemed necessary. A formal decision will likely be made following the shareholders' meeting in June.

Kakumoto, originally from Tokushima Prefecture, graduated from Kobe University Law School. He entered Sumitomo Bank in 1985 and has held various high-ranking positions, including director in charge of operations in Western Japan. Since 2025, he will serve as a senior advisor and is also an outside director of Osaka Metro. His experience as a representative director at the Kansai Economic Federation will likely contribute to his role in leading Osaka Metro into its next phase of development.