SoftBank's first female director to leave after challenging Masayoshi Son

Yuko Kawamoto, a professor at Waseda University, will step down on June 23 after just one year in the role, SoftBank said in a statement on Friday

SoftBank Group Director Yuko Kawamoto plans to resign from the company’s board in June, removing an outspoken board member who has clashed with controversial founder Masayoshi Son over governance issues.

Kawamoto, a professor at Waseda University, will step down on June 23 after just one year in the role, SoftBank said in a statement on Friday. She was the first woman to ever serve on the board and its only female member, although another one has been nominated.

In an unusual move, Kawamoto penned a long message about her time at SoftBank, posted on the company’s website. While she praised