Lawson Inc. announced that it plans to promote Chief Operating Officer Genichi Tamatsuka to chief executive officer effective May 1, 2014. The company CEO Takeshi Niinami, 55, will become chairman on the same day. The company also announced Sadanobu Takemasu, 44, executive assistant to the president and chief executive officer at Mitsubishi Corp., will assume the post of senior executive vice president on May 27, 2014.