BOARD ADVISORS JAPAN - Key Persons

Akimitsu Fujisawa engages in developing enterprise value-up measures, board effectiveness review, outside director search, advisory of response to activists, CEO succession, and executive management development. Akimitsu started his career at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. in 201, where he had engaged in domestic retail sales. Prior to joining Board Advisors Japan, Inc., he provided various advisory services at IR Japan Inc. Akimitsu's motto is "being thoroughly client focused". He has been involved in developing enterprise value-up measures from the perspective of institutional investors, dealing with activists, board effectiveness review, outside director search, and advising on hostile takeovers and proxy fights.

Hajime Nakajima provides advise to listed companies, based on capital market and multi-stakeholder perspectives, focusing on governance + E (environment) and S (human resources), capital efficiency, and business portfolio strategy. Through board effectiveness assessments, executive assessments, succession planning to implement management plans, and strategic reviews that incorporate capital market perspectives into boards, he supports sustainable corporate value improvement from both the supervisory and executive perspectives.Read More Hajime joined IR Japan in 2004.Based　in the research on institutional investors, he supports listed companies on IR and SR activities, vote projection analysis on general shareholders meetings, formulation of medium-term management plans, vulnerability analysis by pseudo-white papers, strategic reviews, B/S reconstruction board effectiveness review, formulation of skill matrix, and scenario analysis and strategy planning in case of contingency acting as Proxy Advisor.Hajime supports clients, respecting their culture and originality, through action plans and disclosures that gains the confidence and understanding from the capital market. Hajime joined Board Advisors Japan in September 2022.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• Founder
• Independent Director at Katitas Co

Hideaki Tsukuda is founder and CEO of the firm, and a leading board and leadership advisor in Japan. He provides a full range of services, including board effectiveness review, advising nomination committee for CEO succession and appointment, assessment of executives, executive coaching and non-executive director search. He also advises clients in the task of increasing corporate value by supporting business restructuring and new business development efforts.Read More Prior to founding Board Advisors Japan, Hideaki was Representative Director and Managing Partner of Egon Zehnder's Japan office and a member of the Global Executive Committee. While at Egon Zehnder, he concurrently assumed the roles of Representative Director and Chief Operating Officer of Japan Investment Corporation in 2018. This was preceded by his career as an HR Consultant at McLagan Partners. Hideaki began his career at Sanwa Bank (currently Mitsubishi UFJ Bank) where he engaged in multiple positions including Human Resources Manager and Manager, International Division. Hideaki is an Independent Director at Katitas Co., Ltd. He also serves as a committee member of the Council of Experts Concerning the Follow-up of Japan's Stewardship Code and Japan's Corporate Governance Code (jointly organized by Financial Services Agency and Tokyo Stock Exchange), the Council of Experts on the Stewardship Code (set by Financial Services Agency), Market Working Group at Financial Services Agency, and has recently served the Business Restructuring Study Group at Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Hideaki earned a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Tokyo and an MS from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Katsuro Ogushi is active in the financial and chemical industries practice. He provides advice on board effectiveness, CEO succession, management appraisals, and non-executive director search.Read More Prior joining to Board Advisors Japan, Inc., Katsuro was an IT Analyst at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, where he was engaged in multiple projects including infrastructure integration at the PMI phase, and SOX compliance. Katsuro earned a Bachelor of Laws from Kyoto University and a Master of Laws from Osaka University.

Klevis Sevrani provides strategic advisory services for corporate governance, including Board Effectiveness Review, CEO Succession, Non-Executive Director Search, and Management Appraisal. He is also active in national economic security practice for Japanese listed companies, providing a wide range of advice in the face of the growing geopolitical and geoeconomic risks and challenges.

Masao Sakuma is active with domestic listed companies in a wide range of industries, particularly in the manufacturing and retail sectors. As an advisor to boards of directors and CEOs, he engages in resolving various governance issues faced by listed companies by providing solutions such as board effectiveness review and non-executive director search.Read More Embarking on his career journey in 1991, Masao Sakuma commenced his professional voyage at Sumitomo Trust & Bank, presently known as Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. During his tenure, he made significant contributions to retail and enterprise sales, stationed in key locations such as Sendai, Shinjuku Nishiguchi, and Nagoya. In 2002, he transitioned into the securities transfer agent business, assuming pivotal roles including leadership positions as the head of the Planning Team of the Securities Transfer Agent Department, General Manager of the Securities Transfer Agent Sales Department I, and General Manager of the Osaka Head Office's Securities Transfer Agent Sales Department. With an unwavering commitment spanning over two decades, Masao Sakuma has played a pivotal role in consulting for more than 500 listed companies in Japan. His consultative purview encompasses intricate facets of stock operations, meticulous guidance on the orchestration of shareholders' meetings, and an expansive array of governance-centric consulting services. Masao earned his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Tohoku University in 1991.

Tomohiro Noguchi has strong capability in building corporate strategies and organizational capabilities of Japanese companies mainly in financial industry. Based on his extensive experience in management consulting, he focuses on board effectiveness reviews and executive management assessment, as well as leadership development through coaching.Read More Prior to joining Board Advisors Japan, Inc., he worked for Boston Consulting Group where he engaged in management consulting work for a wide range of top management agendas, including group strategy development, business strategy implementation support such as overseas expansion, digital utilization, and store operation reform, as well as governance and culture reform, mainly for financial institution and insurance company clients. As a principal, he was also deeply involved in the development of consultants, practicing numerous coaching and training programs (awarded Best Coach in 2018). Previously he worked for Bank of Japan where he was engaged in analyzing financial markets and macroeconomy both in Japan and New York office. Tomohiro earned a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tokyo and subsequently obtained an MSc. In Economic Analysis and Policy at Warwick University (Chevening Scholarship, UK).

Tomomi Murakami has strong expertise in ESG and she leverages her expertise for board effectiveness review, training for corporate executives and disclosure advisory to provides advice for various client companies.Read More She began her career at Fuji Research Institute Corporation (later Mizuho Information & Research Institute, Inc., current Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd. ) in 1990. Since then, she has supported overall development process of environmental-oriented, CSR and ESG management for companies from both industrial and political aspects. She has proven track record of development for ESG strategy and long term environmental vision, materialization of ESG information disclosure, including TCFD disclosure, scenario analysis, management scheme improvement, and training and support for policy making to promote them, by analyzing issues of ESG management, with taking due consideration for investors and other stakeholders. Tomomi Murakami earned a Bachler of Science from College of Natural Sciences, First cluster for Colleges of University of Tsukuba.

Yuko Yasuda provides a full range of services including board effectiveness review, nomination committee and CEO succession advisory, and leadership development in management. She is also active in executive search for senior executive positions including non-executive director, CEO, CFO, and other C-suite positions for a variety of industries.Read More Prior to joining Board Advisors Japan, Inc., Yuko was a Managing Director at Russell Reynolds Associates where she led the Board Services and Technology sector in Japan. She engaged in various leadership positions including Executive Committee member, Country Manager of Japan, and Regional Sector Leader in Technology in the Asia Pacific region. Previously, she worked for multiple clients in the technology sector as an Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton (currently PwC Strategy&). She began her career at IBM Japan as a Systems Engineer. She has also served as Non-executive Director at SCSK, Showa-Shell, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. and Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. Yuko is also a member of Japan Association of Corporate Executives ("Keizai Doyukai"). Yuko received a Bachelor of Social Studies from Hitotsubashi University and an MBA from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).