Struggling personal care and cosmetics maker Kanebo Ltd. said Friday it will appoint as president Tetsuo Komori, the 47-year-old ex-president of computer information magazine publisher Ascii Corp.

Komori is currently management adviser to investment fund Unison Capital Inc., which was selected on Dec. 16 by the state-backed corporate bailout agency, the Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan, as one of three investment funds to acquire Kanebo.

IRCJ selected the three funds and Japan's top household products maker, Kao Corp., to jointly acquire Kanebo and its flagship cosmetics affiliate, Kanebo Cosmetics Inc.

IRCJ is set to sell the Kanebo shares on Jan. 31 to Unison Capital and the two other funds -- Advantage Partners Inc. and MKS Partners Ltd.

Kanebo's current president, Takehiko Ogi, will step down. Ogi was earlier appointed to the Kanebo board by IRCJ to serve as interim president.

The financially troubled company plans to focus its resources on three of its business divisions -- food, pharmaceuticals and daily household goods -- in an effort to get back on its feet.

Komori successfully rebuilt Ascii's operations after he was transferred in 2002 to the publisher from a Unison Capital affiliate.

Komori suggested at a news conference that he will seek to rejuvenate Kanebo by encouraging employees to broaden their professional skills in areas such as marketing and product development.