Yahoo Japan chairman Masayoshi Son is stepping down in June and will be replaced by newly-appointed SoftBank president Nikesh Arora (pictured).

Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank, will remain as a director at Yahoo Japan. SoftBank – the third largest mobile operator in Japan — has a 43 per cent stake in the internet search portal.

Arora last week was named representative director and president of SoftBank and the likely eventual successor to Son. The former Google executive joined the company last October as vice chairman of SoftBank and CEO of SoftBank Internet and Media, its US-based internet investment arm.

Arora’s appointment at SoftBank could be a signal that the operator plans to expand outside of Japan again after its acquisition of Sprint in 2013.

SoftBank reported a sharp improvement in both profit and revenue for the fiscal year ending 31 March, driven by a strong increase in mobile sales. But its US unit Sprint continues to face challenges, reporting a net loss of postpaid subscribers last year as it invested heavily to improve 4G coverage.