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The Sectors Where Engineers are Found

by Fred Nwaozor > This classification captures the major ecosystems or sectors where professional engineers operate. What matters is how their roles shift in focus across these sectors, even though the core engineering principles remain the same. 1. Government (Policy formulation & implementation) In government, engineers function less as hands-on designers and more as technical decision-makers. They contribute to national development by shaping policies, regulations, and standards that guide engineering practice. For example, a civil or telecom engineer in a regulatory agency may help draft infrastructure policies, evaluate national projects, or enforce compliance with safety and quality standards. Their authority ensures that engineering decisions align with public interest; balancing cost, safety, sustainability, and long-term impact. Here, engineering judgment influences what gets built, how it is built, and whether it should be built at all. 2. Academia (Teach...

Suntory CEO, Niinami resigns over Drug Probe

RostrumNews
The outspoken Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Japanese global liquor giant, Suntory Group, Takeshi Niinami, has resigned after police raided his house in a n ongoing probe on illegal drugs deal.

Niinami, 66, was put under police investigation following the arrest of a close ally in an illegal drug case in July, 2025.

Consequently, police searched Niinami’s house in August, but he has denied involvement, and no illegal drugs have been found.

“An investigation was conducted into supplements he purchased under the belief that they were legal,” Suntory president Nobuhiro Torii told news conference on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

Niinami was reportedly suspected of importing products containing THC, an active ingredient in cannabis, from the United States.

During the search, Niinami told police that he thought it was a legal product, saying a female acquaintance sent it to him unsolicited.

Niinami, who also serves as the head of the country’s business lobby, joined Suntory Holdings in 2014, after serving as CEO of convenience store chain Lawson.

Suntory is known for its world-famous whisky and the company’s brands include Jim Beam bourbon, Laphroaig whisky and Courvoisier cognac.

In 2014, it acquired the United States' maker of Jim Beam for $16 billion to become one of the world’s biggest spirits makers.

NiinIt's noteworthy that Niinami is known as a vocal business leader. In 2023, he openly criticised Japan’s former biggest boyband agency following revelations about decades of sex abuse by its late founder.

Japan has strict drug laws and possession can result in jail time. In 2024, the German-born former CEO of optical equipment firm, Olympus, was found guilty of a drug charge.

In 2017, a German executive working at Volkswagen’s Tokyo office was arrested on suspicion of drug use.