Programme

Mr. Shiraki founded Akebono Asset Management Ltd, former Aizawa Asset Management Co., Ltd. and was appointed as CEO in 2015.

Mr. Shiraki has over 25 years of experience investing in private equity, venture capital funds and hedge funds in both Japan and globally. He launched and managed several portfolios of hedge funds and private equity funds for Sanwa Bank, now part of the Mitsubishi UFJ Group.  He was a founding member of Monex Alternative Investments established in 2004 and served as its CEO. He was appointed as CIO of Astmax Co., Ltd. in 2013.  He also served on a board of directors at Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd. TSE1 listed security broker company in 2019 and joined the board of directors at Asuka Asset Management in June 2020.

Mr. Shiraki has been a board member of the Alternative Investment Management Association of Japan (AIMA Japan) since 2001 and has been its Chairman and currently serves as its Vice Chairman.                                                                 He is also a director and committee member Japan Venture Capital Association for LP relationship committee.

Eiichiro Yanagawa is a senior analyst with Celent’s Banking practice and is based in Tokyo.

Eiichiro's research focuses on IT strategy issues in the Japanese and Asian banking and financial industries. His recent research has included core banking systems, ATMs, and anti-money laundering technology, and focused on the technologies driving disruption in three areas: innovation, digital, and legacy and ecosystem transformation. Eiichiro's consulting experience includes development of bank IT strategies, thin client / desktop virtualization to support business continuity, evaluation of data centers for hosting core systems, and vendor selection of AML, risk management, and other technologies.

Eiichiro is widely quoted in the press, including Nikkei, Nikkei BP, ITmedia, The Japan Times, Bloomberg, SNL/ S&P Global, Gtnews, The Trade Asia, Asia Insurance Review, Asia Risk, and Asian Banking & Finance. He is a regular speaker, chairman, and panel moderator at the leading industry events in Japan and Asia.

Prior to joining Celent, Eiichiro was the Chief Manager of the Financial Global Solutions Division and the Regional Bank Financial Solutions Division at NEC Corporation in Tokyo. He was responsible for developing NEC’s core banking system, strategic marketing planning, and consulting on financial institution systems.

Prior to that, Eiichiro was the General Manager of the Financial Services Division at NEC Corporation of America in New York. In this role, he worked on the development of IT strategy and advised clients, mainly Japanese financial institutions, on outsourcing and selection of software packages.

Eiichiro earned his Bachelor of Economics from Shizuoka University and his MBA at Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Commerce and Management.

Makoto Nagahori is currently President and CEO in Phillip Securities Japan since July 2021. He joined Nomura in 1999 after graduating from Tokyo University. From 2006 to 2009, he worked for the US equity trading business for Nomura Securities International and Instinet LLC in New York. From 2009 to 2013, he was in charge of the electronic trading business in Instinet Japan Limited and Nomura Tokyo. From 2013 to 2016, he was President and Representative Director at Chi-X Japan Limited. Before joining in Phillip Securities Japan, he was running electronic trading service desk in Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities (MSET), since 2017.

Masaki Bessho has been Head of FinTech Center, Bank of Japan, since September 2021. Previously, he has served as Associate Director-General of Payment and Settlement Systems Department, Deputy Chief Representative for Europe, and Head of Financial Infrastructure Studies Division at the Bank’s Institute for Monetary and Economic Studiers. He has led diverse research projects focusing on implications of novel technologies on financial systems and central banking services. He also represents the Bank in a number of forums on digital currency and FinTech, including the CBDC Coalition. He received an LL.M. from the University of Virginia (1999) and an LL.B. from Kyoto University (1994). He is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.

kihiro is the head of the analyst team in the cutting-edge technology fields such as AI, IoT and bio/life science, including “FinTech”, and leads Mizuho’s investment banking business for “Innovative” startups and technology companies. He has been involved in the investment banking and fund management industries for more than twenty years in Mizuho and BlackRock, and also engaged in Business and Real Estate Valuation, while working on business applications of data analysis and AI. Akihiro holds some professional certifications such as Member of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA) and Chartered Member of SAAJ (CMA), and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Tokyo.

Yutaka Sakurai is data science and AI expert with a strong background in Financial theory and practice. After more than twenty years' experience of fund manager, trader and quant in Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and Sony Bank, he became a managing director of Research and Pricing Technology Inc.  in 2010. He started AI Finance Application Research Institute in 2017. He published a number of books on Finance and AI.

Yosuke Fujisawa is the AI officer of Sumitomo Life. He has more than 20 years of actuarial experience in pensions, risk management and reinsurance. He is qualified as a Fellow of Actuaries of Japan and CERA with a master degree of actuarial science, University of Waterloo.

Go Ito has an impressive career spanning over two decades, with 14 years dedicated to financial institutions where he gained extensive experience in Sales Trading and Credit Risk Management at esteemed firms such as Nomura Securities, UBS Securities, and Credit Agricole Securities. He further diversified his portfolio by dedicating 7 years to the tech industry at Thomson Reuters, enhancing his expertise in solution sales.

Chikako is responsible for the development of ESG-related solutions and the promotion of ESG business at the SMTB. She has 20-years’ experience in international development finance and sustainability at the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, being involved in the development of the World Bank’s first green bond and climate finance products. Before joining SMTB, Chikako led advisory services at EY on climate change and sustainability. Certified Financial Analyst, USA. MPP, Harvard Kennedy School

Mana Nakazora is the Chief Credit Strategist/Chief ESG Strategist, Vice Chair person of Global Markets at BNP Paribas, Japan. She has a wealth of experience and strong reputation as a top ranked credit analyst and the first sell-side ESG analyst in Japan. Mana joined BNP Paribas in 2008 and has most recently been the Chief Japan Credit Analyst, Head of Investment Research for Global Markets Japan. She is widely recognized by policy makers and has served as a member of several Japanese government bodies. Prior to joining BNP Paribas, Mana spent time working at Nomura Research Institute, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan. She graduated from Keio University with a B.A. in Economics.

She is appointed to Japan’s Economic and Fiscal Policy Council as the panel’s first female private sector member in November 2021.She has also worked as a drafting committee member of the Fiscal System Council for Ministry of Finance Japan. Besides, she served on various Japanese government panels dealing with fiscal and ESG related affairs including such as Ministry of Finance, Ministry of the Environment, Trade and Industry, Cabinet Office and Government of Japan etc.
She was selected as No.1 of credit analyst ranking of “Nikkei VERITAS” for three consecutive years (2010-2012), and 2015.

Hiroshi OZEKI is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Nissay Asset Management Corporation since 2020.
In 1987, Hiroshi joined Nippon Life Insurance Company after graduation from the University of Tokyo, where he garnered most of his professional career. He accumulated ample experience and professional knowledge through various key positions in leading Investment Management as a Domestic Bond Portfolio Manager and a Head of Global Credit and Alternative Investment. In 2013, he became in charge of the Finance and Investment Planning Department as a General Manager. Promoted in 2014 to Chief Investment Officer and a member of the Board Directors & Executive Officer. In 2018, under his new leadership role at Nippon Life’s overseas operations (based in New York), he served as the Regional CEO (responsible for the Americas and Europe) and Managing Director & Executive Officer.
Hiroshi speaks and acts widely in promoting efforts to enhance the group’s initiatives on ESG investments and Green financing, including initiating the first Green Bond issued by the City of Paris and the first underwriting of women bonds by Banco del Estado de Chile (BancoEstado). He has been invited to speak at both international and domestic conferences on climate change, ESG and SDGs, including CFA, ICMA, the RI Asia, the TCFD Summit, and he gave the opening speech at the PRI Digital Conference 2021.

Hiroshi Ozeki has 34 years of business experience engaging in Corporate Planning and Asset Management, including Loan Portfolio Management, Risk Management, Corporate Strategy, Capital Procurement, IR, ALM, and Asset allocation of Life Insurance General Accounts.
AWARDS: The Securities Analysts Journal Prize (1999) from the Security Analysts Association of Japan.

Mr.Yuki Ikehata is an ESG analyst in the Responsible Investment Group of Asset Management One (AM-One) and is responsible for ESG research and engagement.

He has more than 20 years of experience in the investment industry and has served as a research analyst and portfolio manager of global fixed income and equity.

Prior to joining AM-One in 2017, he was a portfolio manager in the Equity Group of the Pension Fund Association (Japan).

He holds a Bachelor of International Relations from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, and an MBA in International Business from the University of Tsukuba, Japan. Mr. Ikehata also serves as a member of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Technical Reference Group.

Motoko started her career in 2001 at Mizuho bank Paris branch before joining Societe Generale Group in 2006, where she served for 10 years in Paris and Tokyo to develop the Group’s business with Japanese Financial Institutions.

In 2016, she joined HSBC Asset Management as Fund Manager and contributed to the growth of ESG investment in Japan as Senior Market Specialist. Most recently, Motoko was with RepRisk Japan Limited, established by the world’s largest ESG technology firm RepRisk AG in 2022, as General Manager to support the acceleration of green finance in Japan by best-in-class ESG risk data.

Taro Nagao is Chief Investment Officer, Global Solutions at Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd. (NAM). Taro oversees NAM’s Quants, Passive, and Rule-based investments globally.

Taro began his professional career in 2001 at NAM as an assistant portfolio manager of yen bonds. His past experience includes portfolio management in emerging market bonds, credit analysis in US high yield market, trade execution in global bonds, fund accounting and administrations, and selection of external investment managers.

In 2018, he became Senior Investment Officer, Fixed Income, and promoted ESG integration in NAM’s global credit and emerging bond strategies. Prior to the current role, he was Chief Investment Officer, Multi-Asset and Solutions, overseeing multi-asset investment and economic research teams.

Taro received MBA with Distinction from University of Michigan and BA in Laws from Keio University. He is a CFA charterholder, a US Certified Public Accountant (Delaware), and a Chartered Member of Security Analysts Association of Japan.

Emmanuel Petitjean is COO of Amundi Japan since September 2013. In this capacity, he oversees the operations, IT and trading, finance and corporate governance of the company. He is also responsible for operational risk control and oversees projects concerning the transformation of the technology or operations profile of the company.

Emmanuel joined the asset management industry in 2002 at SG Asset Management Japan where he started as Head of IT, then became head of the Operations division in 2006. In 2008, he took the lead of the performance measurement and reporting teams in Paris before becoming Head of global performance measurement in the Risk Division of Amundi following the merger with Credit Agricole Asset Management.

Prior to his career in asset management, Emmanuel was a project manager and an IT director in Société Générale from 1994 to 2002, in France and in Japan.

Emmanuel graduated from Ecole Supérieure d’Electricité (Supélec) and holds a Masters in Marketing from HEC Business School.

Eiichiro Yanagawa is a senior analyst with Celent’s Banking practice and is based in Tokyo.

Eiichiro's research focuses on IT strategy issues in the Japanese and Asian banking and financial industries. His recent research has included core banking systems, ATMs, and anti-money laundering technology, and focused on the technologies driving disruption in three areas: innovation, digital, and legacy and ecosystem transformation. Eiichiro's consulting experience includes development of bank IT strategies, thin client / desktop virtualization to support business continuity, evaluation of data centers for hosting core systems, and vendor selection of AML, risk management, and other technologies.

Eiichiro is widely quoted in the press, including Nikkei, Nikkei BP, ITmedia, The Japan Times, Bloomberg, SNL/ S&P Global, Gtnews, The Trade Asia, Asia Insurance Review, Asia Risk, and Asian Banking & Finance. He is a regular speaker, chairman, and panel moderator at the leading industry events in Japan and Asia.

Prior to joining Celent, Eiichiro was the Chief Manager of the Financial Global Solutions Division and the Regional Bank Financial Solutions Division at NEC Corporation in Tokyo. He was responsible for developing NEC’s core banking system, strategic marketing planning, and consulting on financial institution systems.

Prior to that, Eiichiro was the General Manager of the Financial Services Division at NEC Corporation of America in New York. In this role, he worked on the development of IT strategy and advised clients, mainly Japanese financial institutions, on outsourcing and selection of software packages.

Eiichiro earned his Bachelor of Economics from Shizuoka University and his MBA at Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Commerce and Management.

Ken Utsunomiya Joined Nippon Credit Bank in 1996. He has been engaged in the development of the BOJ RTGS and securities settlement system in Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. since 1999.

After that, he joined BNP Paribas Securities in 2000, and worked on IT system development in the back division until 2012. From 2004 to 2006, worked at BNP Paribas (London) to develop a global bond trading platform. After returning to Japan, he took up the post of Head of Operations and later concurrently held the banking division. Finally, as Head of IT and Operations, he oversaw IT infrastructure, IT security and IT governance, as well as IT and operations for each product.
From 2010 to 2012, he served concurrently as Auditor of Japan Government Clearing Corporation.

Joined Societe Generale Securities /Bank and Lyxor Asset Management in 2012. As COO, he led the start-up of flow business, integration with Newedge Securities with the achievement of Japanese incorporation (KK) , and renovation project of back office system. In addition, we constructed an office environment for work style reform in conjunction with office relocation.

July 2018, Joined Mizuho Securities. As COO of the Global Markets Division, he has worked across products to build GTOM (Global Target Operating Model Committee) to promote the establishment of Business and IT infrastructure from a front-to-back perspective, and since April 2020 has also served as Global Joint Operations Head in Operations. In April 2021, he also started the mission of Attached to FG CIO and is taking charge of the overseas IT structural reform of Mizuho Financial Group. In addition, Joint Head of Operations Group added in April 2022 and Deputy Chief Process Officer (CPrO), Head of Global Operations has been added from April 2023.

Miguel Ortega is the regional head of market data for Deutsche Bank APAC, based in Japan. He is responsible for designing, implementing and supporting the bank’s market data infrastructure and market data commercial management.

Miguel started his career in Reuters in Mexico in 1995 as an installations, field support and open systems manager in charge of technical operations for the country. He transferred to Reuters New York in 1999 where he worked until 2002 as a senior systems engineer in charge of Reuters and Tibco product integration. From 2002 to 2007 he worked for Barclays Capital in New York as a regional market data technical services manager in charge of all market data infrastructure and distribution platforms. In 2007 and until 2008 he joined STAC, a performance benchmarking company that specializes in low-latency benchmarking for capital markets workloads as a managing consultant.

Sujata is currently working as Electronic Trading Coverage at GS with a focus on Quant/Systematic clients across APAC markets.

She has worked in Japan Ultra-low latency and Sponsored DMA space for more than 10-years across JP Equities and Futures Exchanges.

Patrick Miyamoto is a senior infrastructure engineer, who has been working in the low latency space in Japan since 2008, covering all major markets in Asia. He has worked at several tier-1 investment firms and has a wide range of experience in both operations and systems design.