Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (8411.TO) said Friday it will appoint Deputy President Takashi Tsukamoto as president of the financial group.

A management reshuffle at the Japanese financial group was widely expected as a number of top executives there assumed their current positions in 2002.

The appointment will take effect April 1. Current President Terunobu Maeda will become chairman.

Mizuho also said it will replace the presidents of its two core banking units.

Mizuho Corporate Bank Deputy President Yasuhiro Sato will become the president of the wholesale and investment banking unit and Mizuho Bank Deputy President Satoru Nishibori will be the president of the retail banking unit.

Current presidents Hiroshi Saito at Mizuho Corporate Bank and Seiji Sugiyama at Mizuho Bank will also be named chairmen at each bank.

Until now, the post of chairman at the holding company and the two banks had been vacant.

-By Atsuko Fukase, Dow Jones Newswires; 813-5255-2957; atsuko.fukase@dowjones.com

Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.