SYNPLOGEN - Key Persons
Hitoshi Yamagishi graduated from French Studies, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Osaka University of Foreign Studies (currently Osaka University) in 1986. He joined the Sumitomo Bank Ltd. (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation) and supported overseas investment by domestic companies and cross-border M&A. After stationed in London and Seattle, he engaged in foreign exchange transactions and handling mutual funds for wealthy class in Japan. In 2008, he joined Shinyei Kaisha, where he worked in corporate planning and as head of the audit department, before becoming president of the company's subsidiary, Grandy Co., Ltd. He later served as head of the auditing department, general manager of the general affairs and credit department, and also as president and representative director of the company's subsidiary, Shinyei Living Industry Co., Ltd. He has served as a corporate auditor of Synplogen since April 2023.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Representative Director
Kazuhiko Yamamoto graduated from Hitotsubashi University, Faculty of Commerce and Management, in1988. After working for Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. and Nomura Research Institute, Ltd., he was in charge of finance and management strategy at several companies. In 1998, he founded an independent venture capital firm and became a representative director. As a venture capitalist specializing in the early stage, he engaged in investment and development of startup companies, while also providing consulting services on M&A and financial strategies as a corporate finance expert. In April 2016, he was appointed as a professor at Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University. He has served as a director of Synplogen since September 2018, and appointed as a Representative Director of Synplogen in December 2021.
Job Titles:
- Director ( Non - Executive
Kengo Miura graduated with a master degree in engineering from Graduate School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology. He joined JAFCO Co., Ltd. (currently JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.) in the same year. where he has worked in the Academic-Corporate Liaison Investment Group as Senior Associate. He has served as a director of Synplogen since December 2021.
Job Titles:
- Director, Executive Research Fellow
Kenji Tsuge graduated from Saitama University, Department of Environmental Chemistry in 1993, and received a doctorate from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering in 1998. After a postdoctoral fellow at Mitsubishi Kagaku Institute of Life Sciences, he worked as an assistant professor at Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University. From 2016 to 2020, he served as a project associate professor at Kobe University, Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, and has served as a visiting associate professor since 2020. He invented Synplogen's core technology, the multiple gene assembly method (OGAB™), and has served as a founding director of Synplogen since February 2017.
Masako Imada graduated from Faculty of Law, Kyoto University in 2001. After completing legal training in 2004, she registered with the Osaka Bar Association and joined Midosuji Legal Profession Corporation. After the cancellation of her attorney registration in 2011, she re-registered with the Osaka Bar Association and joined Uda Law Office in 2022. She has served as a corporate auditor of Synplogen since April 2023.
Naoyuki Yamada graduated with a master degree from Graduate School of Science, Chiba University in 1990, and received a doctorate in agriculture from The University of Tokyo in 2007. He joined Ajinomoto Co., Inc. in 1990. As a specialist in analytical chemistry, he engaged in R&D of analytical and structural analysis technologies for biopharmaceuticals, food enzymes, and managed advanced analytical research group and cell culture media development group for six years as an associate general manager. From 2017 to 2022, he served as a manager in the Drug Discovery and Development Division of Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), engaged in funding and management of national R&D programs for drug development and gene therapy. He has served as a director of Synplogen since April 2022.
Job Titles:
- Director ( Non - Executive
Shinichi Tsunoda, based in Tokyo, is responsible for promotion of sustainable related business. He joined the Industrial Bank of Japan (currently Mizuho Bank, Ltd.) and has over 25 years of experience in corporate finance and advisory in Japan, EMEA and ASEAN regions. Previously he spearheaded Asia Office of Industry Research Department in Singapore focusing in corporate advisory for local corporates in ASEAN region covering topics such as cross-border alliance, decarbonization or sustainable supply chain. In 2020, He was appointed as General Manager of Sustainable Business Promotion Office to facilitate sustainable related business in both financial and consulting areas. In 2022, He was appointed as General Manager of Sustainable Business Promotion department of Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. He has served as a director of Synplogen since March 2023. He holds an M.S. management degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a BEc from Hitotsubashi University.
Job Titles:
- Director, Medical Business Unit
Shunsuke Saito graduated with a master degree from Faculty of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University in 2009, and received a doctorate in Science, Technology and Innovation from Kobe University in 2023. His doctoral research focused on quality control, process development, and business strategy for viral vector-based gene therapy. He joined Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. (currently Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.) and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (its subsidiary in US), and worked on formulation development. He joined Synplogen and served as a manager of business development since April 2020, and then served as an officer, head of medical business development. He has served as a director of Synplogen since April 2023.
Job Titles:
- Director ( Non - Executive
Tomoyuki Hirose graduated from The University of Tokyo, Faculty of Literature in 1995. He joined Nissho Iwai Corporation (currently Sojitz Corporation). After working as a secretary to the president, general manager of the Agribusiness Department, Food & Agribusiness Division, and president of Sojitz do Brasil S.A, and currently general manager of the Business Innovation Office of Sojitz Corporation. He has served as a director of Synplogen since January 2022.