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ISHIGURO Norihiko assumed the post of Chairman and CEO of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) on April 1, 2023. As Chairman and CEO, his mission is to contribute to Japan’s business activities and trade policy through research and studies, while utilizing JETROโs domestic and overseas network to promote foreign direct investment into Japan; exports of agricultural, forestry, fishery and food products; and the overseas expansion of Japanese businesses such as small and medium sized firms in a prompt and efficient manner.
After graduating from the University of Tokyo in 1980, Mr. Ishiguro joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (formerly the Ministry of International Trade and Industry), where he spent 35 years working in trade, industry, energy and other policy areas. During his career in industrial policyโwhich focused on startup support, corporate and industrial revitalization and formulation of growth strategiesโMr. Ishiguro spent three years as an industrial researcher at the JETRO New York Center from 1996 to 1999.
In 2011, he was appointed Director-General of the Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, where he formulated strategies focusing on the promotion of mega-EPAs and quality infrastructure exports to capture the economic power of the fast-growing Indian and Asia-Pacific markets along with domestic structural reforms. From 2013 to 2015, he served as Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry for international affairs, where he was involved in selling quality infrastructure to emerging economies and negotiating mega FTAs, such as the EU-Japan EPA and TPP.
Prior to his appointment as JETRO Chairman and CEO, from 2016 to 2023, he served as Senior Executive Vice President of NEC Corporation (NEC), where he was responsible for formulating business strategies to respond to the major economic and social transformation (DX and GX) brought by new technologies such as 5G, AI and IoT.
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