Mikako Awano has been long working for WWF Japan since 1990, and covered a wide variety of environmental agenda from renewable energy promotion to biodiversity and responsible sourcing. She founded a new organization at 2016 focusing on sustainability at business sector including ESG. She is a judge panel of ESG Finance Award Japan and a member of the committee for biodiversity strategy of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery. She also was engaged with the development of TNFD recommendation as a TNFD Taskforce Alternate Member until the end of 2023.

Ohtani joined Kao following a career in mass media to lead internal engagement efforts around corporate philosophy The Kao Way. She went on to work in global internal and corporate communications, contributing to the realization of the mid-term management strategy through projects for corporate image establishment. In 2018, Ohtani was appointed Director of ESG Promotion and ESG Public Relations, ESG Division, where she took on the responsibility of developing and promoting the ESG strategy the Kirei Lifestyle Plan. She has held her current position since 2022.

Born 1957. Joined Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. in 1993 after starting his career at Seiyu Store (currently Seiyu Co., Ltd.). Contributed to the growth of Ryohin Keikaku for many years as the head of household business, the main pillar of sales. Later undertook structural reform of the company as Managing Director and General Manager of Sales with success. Appointed President and Representative Director in February 2008, then Chairman and Representative Director in May 2015 up to present. He has been involved in sales and merchandising of MUJI brand since the time at Seiyu and is taking the lead in maximizing the corporate value of the whole Ryohin Keikaku group.

Ken Shibusawa founded in 2001, Shibusawa and Company, Inc., a strategic advisory firm for alternative investments, ESG/SDGs alignment and human resource development. He also founded in 2008, Commons Asset Management, a mutual fund dedicated to deliver long term investment opportunities to the Japanese household. In 2021, he joined Brunswick Group as senior advisor.
In 2022, he was named as board member of the newly founded International Foundation for Valuing Impact, as special advisor to the ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Boards) chair. In 2023, he founded &Capital, Inc., an impact fund management company for Africa.
He is also co-chair of Global South-Africa Committee at Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), advisor to the Office of the President at the University of Tokyo, member of various government panels, including Prime Minister Kishida’s Council on New Capitalism, and a steering group member of UNDP SDG Impact.

Dr. Sirikul established her own consulting firm after working for global corporations for nearly twenty years. The mission of her firm is to be a small but competent strategic advisory company with the aim of working with Thai clients who truly believe in sustainable branding and systematic methodology. Her approach to developing brand strategy is based upon the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy.
Her background ranges from communication to management, to sustainable development. This together with her own unique combination of creative flair and strategic thinking make her a ‘one of a kind’ consultant. Dr. Sirikul can provide strategic and holistic recommendations that are sensible and practical for each client’s issues. Her strength is her expertise in compelling brand strategy development—Brand Model & Brand Architecture as well as Branded CSR.
She has been representing SB (Sustainable Brands) in Thailand since 2016, and has successfully organized conferences among business circles for more than 7 years. In addition to SB, she initiated the “Porlaewdee The Creator” program, aimed at strengthening immunity among young entrepreneurs with Sufficiency Economy Philosophy.

Born in Osaka in 1966. Graduated from the Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University and joined Kao Corporation in 1991. Engaged mainly in the development of surfactants at the Material Development Laboratory and the Material Science Laboratory. During this period, he studied at the Faculty of Engineering Science, Osaka University for two years in order to introduce catalytic aerobic oxidation reaction technology, and applied it to the new production of surfactants. In 2015, he was transferred to R&D Division, Kao Chemicals Europe. After serving as director of the institute, he was transferred to the ESG Global Action Promotion Department in September 2020, and assumed his current position in January 2021. The company is focusing on the promotion of a wide range of ESG activities, including initiatives in environment, human rights etc..

David Freiberg is a Senior Manager in EY Japan’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) group and helps lead the integration of impact management, strategy, and accounting in client’s strategic planning and management practices. Prior to joining EY, he was one of the founding members of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) at Harvard Business School. David was responsible for the development of the IWAI impact methodologies, and, in addition, led global engagement with corporates and investors. David has led the development of impact and ESG services at premier consulting and legal firms, including KKS Advisors and Paul, Weiss, where he helped develop both the “Sustainability & ESG” and “Civil Rights & Racial Equity Audits” practice groups.

【Kohei Nishida】
Born in 1993, I completed my studies at Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Environmental Studies and later worked in research and development at DENSO Corporation. While at Nagoya University, I developed a passion for agriculture and environmental issues, leading me to discover artificial soil technology. This passion eventually led to the founding of TOWING, a green and agri-tech startup originating from Nagoya University.

TOWING is recognized for its groundbreaking development, “Soratan,” a high-performance soil that achieves a dual purpose – reducing greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating the transition from chemical fertilizers to organic methods. After earning accolades, including winning S-Booster2019, I ventured into independent entrepreneurship in November 2020. By April 2023, TOWING successfully raised a total of 1 billion yen, actively contributing to the mission of establishing a super-circulating society rooted in sustainable next-generation agriculture.

【Ryoya Nishida】

Born in 1995, I completed my studies at Nagoya University, earning a degree from the Graduate School of Engineering, while currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Environmental Studies. In 2020, alongside my brother Kohei Nishida, I co-founded TOWING and assumed the position of CTO. My academic background in materials engineering and soil science laid the foundation for my contribution to the integration of unique techniques in biochar preprocessing and microbial cultivation into technology developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), leading to its successful societal implementation.

My current focus involves leveraging 3D structural analysis and bioinformatics to advance the development of high-performance biochar. Additionally, I am dedicated to researching the efficient utilization of unused biomass resources and contributing to the establishment of a super-circular agricultural system.

He joined The Norinchukin Bank in 1994, and succesively took the post in General Manager of Naha Branch, Head of Sustainability Management Department. From April 2023, as a General Manager of Corporate Design Division, he is in charge of planning and promoting the bank’s sustainability initiatives.

Since the founding of South Pole in 2006, Patrick has been an influencer and innovator in carbon markets and corporate sustainability. Starting out as Chief Technical Officer for the company, he led the implementation and quality control of the entire project portfolio, supervising more than 200 climate change mitigation projects in 25 countries, and played a key role in the evolution of carbon markets and standards. Patrick then extended his expertise to help launch South Pole’s advisory business, which has enabled thousands of corporate organisations around the world to take climate action towards net zero, as well as played a leading role in South Pole’s work with the public sector and impact funds. In September 2022, Patrick relocated to Tokyo to lead the establishment of South Pole’s presence in Japan.

Patrick holds a M.Sc. in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

Born in Hokkaido, Japan. Graduated from Maryville University in 1991. Joined Volvo Car Japan Limited in May 2021 as General Manager of Direct to
Consumer Operations (DX-related division), responsible for customer
experience and DX advancement. Became Volvo Car Japan’s first female Managing Director as of August 2023.

Graduated from Hitotsubashi University, Faculty of Commerce. Studied at HEC Paris. Obtained MBA from Dauphine, Sorbonne, University of Paris.
After working for NRI, IGPI, A.T. Kearney, Pernod Ricard, and MHD Moët Hennessy Diageo, she has been in her current position since January 2023.

She has introduced social, environmental, and diversity perspectives into management and marketing, and launched, and expanded sustainability mechanisms.
In her current position, she leads strategy development, planning, execution, and communication related to sustainability & ESG, which consists of the four pillars of Food, Planet, Community, and People, and works with team members to implement the sustainability strategies, governance, and disclosure.

Since 2022, she has been teaching a weekly lecture in English on CSR, CSV and Sustainability to exchange students at Hitotsubashi University, her alma mater.
She enjoys wine (sommelier & WSET Level 3) and art.

Leading Danish Crowns sustainability program.

More than 30 years within the abattoir and meat processing sector. Last 5 years worked with different areas within the sustainability agenda, and since june-19 as as lead for Group Sustainability, with a team of experts within Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) and sector specific risks like animal welfare.

Danish Crown take the lead working towards the sustainable transition of food production and step up our investment in sustainability and innovation throughout our value chain from farm to fork to accelerate the development.

Building on five main target areas, our sustainability strategy supports our new business strategy. The five target areas set the direction for our contribution to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and address opportunities and risks throughout our value chain from farm to fork. The five areas are:

• Sustainable Farming
• Sustainable Production
• Good Jobs for Everyone
• Together with Customers and Consumers
• Feeding the World

You can always read more: www.danishcrown.com

#danishcrown #feedingthefuture #betterfoodbrighterfuture #sustainability

After working for Deutsche Bank and P&G, Minako Yoshikawa joined ASICS as General Manager of CSR Department in 2011. Since then, she has led the globalization of the sustainability organization and the sustainability strategy. After leading Global Corporate PR organization, establishing Diversity & Inclusion and Risk Management structure in the company, she became Senior General Manager of Sustainability, which is the Chief of the Global Sustainability in 2021. She enabled the company to introduce the world’s lightest CO₂ emissions sneaker on the market, which resulted in ASICS receiving 2023 Commendation for Climate Change Action from Japan Ministry of Environment and winning the Grand Prize of 2023 Sustainable Japan Award by Japan Times. Became Executive Advisor in 2024. Also act as JETRO External Advisor.

KoAnn is Founder and Chief Executive of Sustainable Life Media, producers and conveners of the international Sustainable Brands community. Prior to launching Sustainable Life Media in 2004, KoAnn founded and lead a boutique management consultancy called Organizations That Work, focusing on helping enable breakthrough financial performance through purpose-driven leadership and improved organizational alignment. Prior to that she worked for 18 years in business to business media where she served in positions of increasing responsibility launching and leading media properties including magazines, conferences, trade shows and more for a wide range of markets, starting with natural resources （timber, paper, and mining, and ending with a variety of emerging technology sectors including digital video, computer game development and the web. During her tenure she garnered extensive experience in launching and growing countless product brands, as well as defining a corporate brand strategy and integrating it with a global product brand portfolio spanning many market sectors. She completed her media tenure as Senior Vice President of a multinational division of United Business Media, overseeing a $50 million division with 150 person team.

When I was a student, I saw how cities were changing due to the vitality of people and nation, and I developed a passion for the construction industry.
After joining Kumagai Gumi, I worked at the branch and on-site, and then joined the Finance Department. I was engaged in “International fund management/procurement”, ” Stock-related work”, and “IR”, and was appointed as finance manager in 2013.
Since 2015, I had been promoting corporate alliances at the Corporate Planning Department.Since 2021, I’ve been appointed Deputy General Manager of the Business Development Department, I’m engaging new business areas such as offshore wind power business and ‘black bark pellet’ business.
I’m overcome with the importance and difficulty of ‘ambidextrous management,’ and am working hard every day.

He has been engaged in equity analyst work since 2005. After training in the U.S. along the way, he has been a small-cap fund manager since 2008, launching a concentrated small-cap fund for corporate pension funds in 2012, a Resona Japan Small and Mid-cap SDGs Fund (nicknamed “Nihon no Mirai”) in 2018, a global small and mid-cap SDGs fund in 2020, and a global impact investment fund (climate change) for listed stocks in 2021. He has received numerous awards, including the R&I Fund Award, Mercer Fund Award, Refinitive Lipper Fund Award Japan, and the Minister of the Environment Award for the 21st Century Principles for Financial Action. Participated as a member of the “Impact IPO Working Group Meeting” organized by the GSG Domestic Advisory Committee.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:
1995: – Master of Business Administration – International Business
Economics
University of Aalborg, Denmark
1988-1989: – International trainee with the Swiss trading
company Edward Keller (Hong Kong) Ltd.
1984-1987 – Bachelor Degree in Business Economics,
University of Aalborg
1981-1984 – A-levels/High School – Nørresundby Gymnasium, Denmark
1980-1981 – Attended 1 year in High School in the USA

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Period: March 1st, 2020 until present day
Minister-Counsellor (Food, Agriculture & Environment), Royal Danish Embassy, Tokyo

Period: April 15th, 2019 – February 28th, 2020
Global Team Leader (Water, Environment and Urban Solutions) at the Trade Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Period: August 1st, 2018 – March 31st, 2019
Minister-Counsellor (Commercial) at the Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi.

Period: August 1st, 2013 – July 31st, 2018
Deputy Head of Mission and Minister-Counsellor (Commercial) at the Royal Danish Embassy in Seoul.

Period: August 1st, 2012 – July 31st, 2013
Global Team Leader (Food and Agriculture) at the Trade Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Period: September 1st, 2007 – until July 31st, 2012
Minister-Counsellor (Commercial) at the Royal Danish Embassy in Tokyo.

Period: September 1st, 2006 – August 2007
ICT team leader in Invest in Denmark, Trade Council of Denmark.

Kyoko joined Japan Airlines in 2019, starting her career as a frontline staff in the reservation center. After her transfer to the CX Strategy department, Customer Experience Division in 2021, she has been in charge of communication strategies to enhance the JAL Group’s corporate image, including sustainability-related external communications.

Shojiro joined Japan Airlines in 2015. After experiencing airport passenger operations, international flight revenue management, and secondment to Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), he is currently involved in medium-term management planning and airline business strategy in the Corporate Strategy Department since 2022.
On the other hand, from 2019, he serves as a member of the in-house venture team “W-PIT (Wakuwaku-Platform Innovation Team),” and planned and took the lead of the “JAL Music Charter Flight,” a co-creation project with a professional orchestra.
Currently, he is also involved in the JAL Sa-Travel (Sauna Travel) project, promoting the creation/promotion of human flow and community management through music and saunas.

Joined Bridgestone Corporation in 2004. Established the environmental strategy planning function for promoting carbon management, refining Environmental Mission Statement, formulating Long-term Environmental Vision. In 2015, engaged in CSR promotion activities and supervising global CSR and environmental strategy planning and promotion. In 2018, engaged in corporate planning in global HQ. In 2019, established the corporate sustainability function and leading global sustainability activities.

Born in Yokohama in 2001. He learned about the SDGs in his first year of high school biology class, and began working on content production aimed at making the SDGs more accessible to students. In May 2018, he established “50cm”, a student organization that works to achieve the SDGs. The group seeks to change the “conscious” atmosphere that has traditionally surrounded social issues and solutions, and to find a way for more actors to tackle the SDGs as their own business. His short film “Take action, Again.” won the SDGs creative award 2018. In 2020, he entered Yokohama National University, where he is researching community, well-being, and education from the perspective of urban sciences. He is also the founder of “Design, more.”, a project that uses the power of design to create cross-disciplinary action. He conducts workshops and develops teaching materials in order to create a base for connecting school education and social issues. He was assigned as the producer of Sustainable Brands Japan in 2022. He is conducting the creation and planning of the youth community “nest”.

Yuriko joined Unilever Japan as Head of Communications in 2023 attracted by its purpose to make sustainable living common place. She started her professional career in IKEA Japan in 2006, worked in several different roles in Property and Expansion, Marketing and Communications. In 2016, she took role of Country Communications Manager and seved for 7 years. She studied International Relations at University of Tsukuba. Mother of 11 years daughter and 9 years son.

Owner chef Masakazu Iwasawa was born in Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1979. After chef training in Italy, the home of pizza, he entered the pizza industry through a major domestic restaurant chain. In 2006, he won the grand prize at the Neapolitan Pizza World Tournament. In 2012, he became independent and opened “PIZZERIA GTALIA DA FILIPPO” in Nerima Ward, Tokyo. The restaurant offer dishes that use carefully selected ingredients procured from producers all over Japan, including locally-developed domestic wheat, as well as local vegetables and fruits in Nerima Word. In addition to restaurant management, he is currently launching and working on various projects such as regional cooperation, supporting medical workers, and development of the menu. PIZZERIA GTALIA DA FILIPPO is one of the members of the Sustainable Restaurant Association Japan and received a 3-star sustainability rating in 2023, and also received the GRAND PRIZE at the FOOD MADE GOOD Japan Awards 2023.

2nd year student at Tokyo Metropolitan Toyotama High School, born in 2005. Two years ago, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced an exchange program in South Dakota, USA. Explored the culture, history, and traditions of the indigenous people living there and organized international exchange events to share Japanese culture with the local community. Engages in sports, arts, and academics:qualifying for track and field state championships and being selected for Art Competition and the Gold Honor Roll at the local high school. Faced poverty issues during life with the indigenous community, witnessing economic disparities for the first time. Upon returning to Japan, decided to leverage personal experiences and environment, undertaking various challenges. Developed an interest in aviation fuel and energy issues. Decided to participate in the IHRP2023 and, under the guidance of Professor Fujikawa at Kyushu University, conducts research on “Energy-efficient, super-circular societies.

As Chief Sustainability Officer at Toyota Motor Corporation, Yumi Otsuka is leading Toyota’s corporate mission “Producing Happiness for All” and commitment to helping build a sustainable society.

She joined Toyota as one of the first female career-track administrative new recruits. Since then, she has consistently demonstrated leadership in promoting diversity and sustainability at the front line of transformation, including “Diversity Project,” “Mirai (future) Project,” and creation of motorsports business.

She graduated from School of Law, Osaka University (Japan), and earned an MBA degree from Dartmouth College (USA).

Joined Japan Airlines (JAL) in 1993.
Worked in International Route Business, Corporate Sales, General Management Team of Siberian Joint Business, etc.
Since 2019 engaged in sustainability-related business. Responsible for formulation of the JAL Group Code of Conduct “Commitment to Society” and JAL Group Environmental Policy, establishment of Environmental Management System (EMS).
Since April 2022, as VP of Sustainability Division, leading the promotion of specific ESG management strategies for the JAL Group to achieve the SDGs, including initiatives to achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2050, and promoting specific measures such as Sustainable Challenge Flights, and overall internal and external communication on sustainability.

Emi is known as a governance, stewardship and corporate sustainability expert. She sits on the board of Musashi Seimitsu Industry and Daiwa Asset Management and is currently the CEO of Eminent Group Ltd.. Previously, she was the COO at Japan Catalyst, Inc. (2020-2022) and held various roles at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (2000-2020) and J.P. Morgan (1998-2000).
Currently, she sits on the Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance established by Japan Financial Services Agency and Study Group on Disclosure Policies for Non-financial Information by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Emi is also active in industry initiatives: a leader for the Japan Chapter of ISSB-SASB Fundamentals of Sustainable Accounting, steering member for Japan Stewardship Initiative as well as the chairperson for Future Design Initiative by Science and Finance (FDSF). She published her first book “Connecting Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Finance” in July, 2023.

Born in Tokushima on the island of Shikoku. Grew up in Yokohama, but now a resident of Tokyo. Graduated from Waseda University with a master’s degree in literature. A member of the Department of Liberal Arts, I am currently vice president of Tokyo University of Technology. I was formerly a translator of young adult books but am now working on a project focusing on the development of overseas study programs.

Since 1999, Mr. Kaneda has been pursuing a career in CSR/ESG/Sustainability at five companies; SONY Corporation, Daiwa Securities Group Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, ANA Holdings Inc. and NTT DATA Group Corporation.

Before the CSR career, his professional experiences were also cultivated in the External Relations Department at Sony, the Economic Section at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, the Bloomberg TV (announcer) and the Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University (part-time lecturer).

He is active as Director of Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation, Director of Japan Society for Social Innovation and Jury President for SDGs Special Award of Dentsu Advertising Awards, and used to be a member of UN Global Compact LEAD program and IIRC Pilot Program.

Mr. Kaneda graduated from the Faculty of Economics, Keio University in 1987 and completed his master’s course majored in Multinational Enterprise Theory, Reading University in 1993.

I run a company called WORLD MODE HOLDINGS, which I founded in 2012.
We offer various services for Fashion and Beauty brands that have shops in department stores and commercial facilities. The core business is to send our salespersons as temporary employees to our clients. We always have 9,000 salespersons and about 1,200 of them become full-time employees of our clients annually. We also offer Consulting, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, and Promotion services for our clients. I am also a board member of the Japan sales professional association.
We have 26 branches in Japan, and 5 in overseas; Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Australia.

Career
April 1987 Joined Lion Corporation
January 2009 Executive Officer, Director of Planning and Coordination Department, Health Care Products Division
January 2010 Senior Executive Officer, Executive General Manager of International Division
March 2012 Director, Executive Officer
January 2016 Director, Executive Officer, Responsible for CSR Promotion Department
Director, Senior Executive Officer, Responsible for Corporate Ethics, Human Resources Development Center, General Affairs Department, Management Support Department, Sustainability Promotion Department (current position)

After completing my Master’s in Environmental Studies, I started working in the corporate sustainability space. My 15+ years of experience include start-ups to large multinational companies in Japan, particularly in stakeholder communication using sustainability reports and employee engagement based on corporate purpose.
In 2020, I enrolled in PhD program at Monash University in Australia, where I have been researching the relationship between corporate purpose and corporate sustainability in large companies in Australia and Japan.

CSR/SDGs Consultant
March 1976 Graduated from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law.
April 1977　Joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (currently the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
July 2005　Councillor, the Ministry of the Environment
August 2006　Councillor, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
July 2007　Director-General of the Kanto Regional Forest Office
March 2008　Retired the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
May 2008　Joined ITO EN, LTD.
July 2010　 Director of ITO EN, LTD.
July 2014　Managing Executive Officer of ITO EN, LTD.
April 2019　Retired as Advisor of ITO EN, LTD.
April 2020　Professor at Platform for Arts and Science, Chiba University of Commerce (current position)
June 2022　Outside Director of NIHON KOHDEN CORPORATION (current position)
[Official HP] Hidemitsu Sasaya Official Site (https://csrsdg.com/)