Kyodo News on Thursday named Eiji Kadota as general manager overseeing international news, a post that has been vacant since Toyohiko Yamanouchi became president of the agency in December.

Kadota, 61, joined Kyodo News in 1967 after graduating in economics from Hitotsubashi University.

He held various key posts at the Tokyo-based news agency, including chief of the London bureau and head of the Foreign News Section. He has served as executive director since June. Kadota is a native of Ehime Prefecture.

The appointment, made at a meeting of board directors Thursday, took immediate effect.

The board also appointed 57-year-old Masahide Tsukahara as executive director in charge of multimedia and systems. Tsukahara, a native of Shizuoka Prefecture, has served as managing director of the Information Systems Department since June.

The new lineup represents the full-fledged start of Yamanouchi's term as president.

He took charge of operations at the news agency after 65-year-old Ichiro Saita went on sick leave.

Thursday also saw K.K. Kyodo News, an information services company wholly owned by the news agency, appoint Yamanouchi as its president, replacing Saita.