
Marko Radovic
On the following topics of the Annual Meeting in Davos 2025, we will be asking for insights from our panelists:
1. Industries in the Intelligent Age
2. Safeguarding the Planet
3. Reimagining Growth & Investing in People
Bio
Dr. Felix Moesner is the Science Consul of the Consulate of Switzerland & CEO of Swissnex in Japan. With a PhD in robotics, he graduated from ETH Zurich, University of Tokyo and MIT, Dr. Moesner acquired comprehensive experience in working with professionals of governmental, private and academic sectors in the economic superpowers US, Japan & China. Swissnex is the Swiss network for education, research and innovation and is committed to the exchange of knowledge, ideas and talents. From 2003-12, Dr. Moesner worked as Science Counsellor at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tokyo, continued as CEO of Swissnex in Boston & New York from 2012-2017 and CEO of Swissnex in China from 2017-2021. He worked for Credit Suisse Life Japan, Toshiba Corp., Kanagawa Academy of S&T, Synpulse & Egon Zehnder.
Bio
Educated at University of St Gallen and Harvard Business School. Worked with Swiss construction material producer Holcim for more than 20 years in various countries, including Mexico and Venezuela. Assignments included executive line management roles as well as corporate functions. 2010, joined the World Economic Forum as Member of the Managing Board.
Bio
Fujiyo Ishiguro, Chief of Japan and Chief Representative Officer, has over 20 years of experience in cross-border and startup management. She began her career in overseas sales and marketing at Brother Industries, and later served as the manager responsible for new business development at Swarovski Japan. Her first startup was a consulting firm focused on high-tech in Silicon Valley, where she facilitated partnerships between U.S. startups and major Japanese corporations. After participating in the MBO of U.S.-based Netyear Group, she relocated the headquarters to Japan and, as CEO, led the company to a public listing in the Japanese market. She has held numerous public positions, serving as a committee member for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Cabinet Office, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Nagoya University and an MBA from Stanford University.
Bio
Ayano Sasaki is the Curator of the Global Shapers Community Fukuoka, an initiative organized by the World Economic Forum. Born in 1997 in Japan, she holds a Bachelor of Laws from Kyushu University and a Master of Arts in Global Affairs from the Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua University in China. Following her academic achievements, she worked as a Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. In addition to her professional career, she is the co-founder of THE LEADS ASIA, a platform dedicated to fostering constructive discussions among youth across Asia on a variety of topics. Currently, she is in the process of establishing a new organization aimed at connecting the Kyushu region with the global community, with a particular focus on Asia.
Bio
Dr. YAMAKAWA currently resides and takes leadership role as the President of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) since April 2018.
He has engaged in numerous aerospace R&D and space project activities in JAXA as well as professorship at academia while having working experiences at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and ESA’s Space Technology Center (ESTEC).
He also held vital posts in his career with Secretariat of Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy, Cabinet Secretariat as the Secretary General, as well as a member of Committee for National Space Policy prior to becoming JAXA president.
His professional portfolio extends from orbital mechanics, trajectory optimization, space propulsion, and to space security.
Bio
Chairman of the Board, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) since 2019. Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the growth of revenues from $25 billion to $37 billion, expanding the global workforce from 68,000 to 80,000 and doubling the number of employees outside Japan to 28,000. Began career with MHI in 1972 at the Hiroshima Machinery Works immediately following graduation from the University of Tokyo. Has held numerous management roles throughout MHI and has spent career promoting global marketing, engineering and manufacturing efficiencies and customer-focused service strategies. 2000-06, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mitsubishi-Hitachi Metals Machinery. 1999, General Manager, Heavy Machinery Department, Machinery Headquarters; 2008, Executive Vice-President, Head of Machinery & Steel Structures Headquarters. Since 2008, Member of the MHI Board of Directors; 2011, Senior Executive Vice-President and Head, Presidential Administration Office. 2013, named President and Chief Executive Officer, MHI; since 2014, Non-Executive Member of the Board, Mitsubishi Motors; since 2019, Director, Mitsubishi Corporation. Degree, Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo; MBA, Graduate Business Programme, University of Chicago. Interests: playing tennis and golf, unsolved problems of Number Theory, etc.
Bio
Shokei Matsumoto is Managing Director of Japan Fellowship of Buddhists and a Buddhist Monk in Komyoji Temple, Jodo-Shinshu Hongwanji-ha. Born in 1979 in Japan, he graduated with B.A. degree in Literature from the University of Tokyo. Right after graduation, he started to serve as head of Komyoji Young Buddhist Association and initiated new projects such as Temple Café Project. In 2008, the association was awarded “Shoriki Matsutaro Prize” from a foundation for education. He is also the founder of Virtual Temple “HIGANJI” which is one of the most popular website for Buddhists in Japan. He completed MBA from Indian School of Business as an Ambassadorial Scholar of Rotary Foundation in 2011. After MBA, he started a project of “Mirai no Jushoku-Juku” or temple management school for Buddhist priests and monks. He has published more than 5 books in Japanese and some of them were translated into several other languages. He currently lives in Kyoto, Japan. In 2013, he was nominated as a member of Young Global Leaders 2013 from World Economic Forum in Davos. Awarded a certificate of completion for the Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century Program, 03/2017, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Executive Education.
Bio
After graduating from university, Taisuke joined Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd before entering a graduate program. Upon completing his graduate studies, Taisuke performed consulting work at Bain & Company Japan Incorporated and the Monitor Company, prior to founding Advantage Partners in 1992, where he has since served as a Representative Partner. After founding Advantage Partners, he started and managed two new businesses; Meridian VAT Reclaim Japan, a Value-Added Tax (VAT) reclaim service for corporations, and Advantage Risk Management (TSE: 8769) an insurance brokerage and risk management business. In 1997, Advantage Partners launched its private equity funds business by establishing the first buyout fund in Japan, and Taisuke has since devoted his time to the development of this private equity investment practice. Today, Advantage Partners provides services to Funds associated with four different investment strategies, that in aggregate, have invested in more than 120 companies across Asia. He has also served as a part-time instructor at Keio Business School and Chairman of the Japan Private Equity Association. Taisuke is a graduate of the Department of Law and MBA holder from the Graduate School of Business Administration at Keio University, specializing in strategic theory and management theory. He also holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, specializing in financial management and international relations.
Bio
Matthias Frey received his Ph.D. in signal processing and analog chip design from ETH Zurich in 2006. He subsequently held various R&D positions in the Japanese industry, developing analog-digital converters, laser distance measurement algorithms, and ultra-sonic speakers. From 2012-2017, Matthias headed the Science & Technology Office Tokyo of the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan. Since 2018 he has been Chief Analyst at Sony Europe, specializing in semiconductors, signal processing, and machine learning. In 2022, he joined Sony’s Corporate Technology Strategy Division as Strategic Planning Manager in the domain of System on Chips and semiconductors. He is currently in charge of strategic partnerships while reporting to the CTO of Sony; in a concurrent role he is helping create spin-outs of Sony’s MedTech.
Marko Radovic
Shigehiko Nakayama
Elliot Stanton