Profiles

in Japanese

Executive Members

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  Masayoshi SonFounder and Chairperson

  Masayoshi Son was born in 1957 in Tosu City of Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. A year after graduating from the Economics Department of UC Berkeley, Son founded and became Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Corp. Japan (now SoftBank Group Corp.) in 1981. SoftBank Group Corp. went public in 1994, and two years later in 1996, Son launched Yahoo Japan Corporation as a joint venture with Yahoo! Inc. US, running the enterprise first as President & CEO, then became Chairman. In 2001, SoftBank launched the Yahoo! BB broadband ADSL service in partnership with Yahoo Japan Corporation, and later made the high profile acquisition of Vodafone K.K. (now SoftBank Corp.) in April of 2006.
  In July 2013, Sprint Corporation joined the SoftBank Group and Son became its Chairman. Currently he retains multiple positions including Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Group Corp. and Director of Yahoo Japan Corporation. Son is also known as the owner of the Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS (a Japanese professional baseball team based in Kyushu).
  After the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, he founded and assumed chairmanship of Renewable Energy Institute to promote the use of renewable energy.

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  Kiyoshi KurokawaCouncil Member

  Kiyoshi Kurokawa is a physician, a graduate of the University of Tokyo, School of Medicine; spent in USA 1969-84; was professor of medicine at UCLA, University of Tokyo, Dean Tokai University Medical School, President of the Science Council of Japan (03-06), and Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan (06-08). He is Vice Chair of the World Dementia Council established by G8 Summit in 2013 by UK and serves as Chair of the Covid-19 AI Advisory Board since July 2020. He was Chair of the National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC; Dec.2011-July 2012) and received "2012 Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award" of AAAS and "100 Top Global Thinkers 2012" of 'Foreign Policy' for his leadership in NAIIC.

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  Ryuichi SakamotoCouncil Member

  Born in Tokyo in 1952. Musician.
  Ryuichi Sakamoto made his solo debut in 1978 with Thousand Knives and formed Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) the same year. After the band’s breakup, he continued to pursue creative activities in a variety of areas. Among other accolades, Sakamoto won a British Academy Film Award for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, and an Academy Award for Original Score a Grammy Award for The Last Emperor. He has been highly acclaimed across the globe for his ceaseless pursuit of innovative sounds.
  Sakamoto has also spoken out on many environmental, social, and peace-related issues, voicing his support for nuclear phase out through campaigns such as Stop Rokkasho and NO NUKES. In 2007, the more trees Intermediary Organization, a forest conservation group, was founded at Sakamoto’s urging. Based on the concept of connecting city and forest , the group’s activities within Japan are primarily focused on forest development that promotes thinning, while overseas it mainly concentrates on planting forests for the purpose of forest regeneration. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the group’s founding. In July 2011, Sakamoto set up the School Music Revival Fund to inspect and repair school musical instrument collections and support musical activities at kindergartens and elementary, junior high, and high schools in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The fund closed in 2014, having achieved its goals, but its activities were the catalyst for the establishment of Tohoku Youth Orchestra, whose members are children from the three disaster-stricken prefectures (Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures) who themselves experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake. Serving as the orchestra’s Representative Director and Musical Director, Ryuichi Sakamoto today continues to support the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake through music.

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  Naohiko JinnoCouncil Member

  After graduating in Economics from the University of Tokyo in 1969, Professor Naohiko Jinno joined Nissan Motor Co. then went on to complete his Masters degree in Economics at the University of Tokyo in 1978, followed by his doctorate in 1981, specializing in public finance and local government finance. His career includes serving as assistant professor at Osaka City University, professor at the graduate school of Tokyo University, professor at Kansei Gakuin University, and chairman of the Local Public Finance Council. He currently serves as emeritus professor at The University of Tokyo. He also serves on many committees and advisory councils, including as Acting Chairperson of the Tax Commission, Chairman of the Pension Subcommittee of the Social Security Council, and Chairman of the Advisory Council on Decentralization Reform.
  Among his recent publications are the works Wakachiai no Keizaigaku (“The Economics of Sharing”), Iwanami Shinsho, and Zeikin Jōshiki no Uso (“Inaccuracies").

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  Tomas KåbergerChair of Executive Board

  Tomas Kåberger has been the Chair of Executive Board of Renewable Energy Institute since its foundation in 2011. Academically, he got an MSc in Engineering Physics, a PhD in Physical Resource Theory, and Docent in Environmental Science at Chalmers. He has been professor in International Sustainable Energy Systems at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University, and he is currently affiliate Professor of Industrial Energy Policy at Chalmers University of Technology.
  Industrially, he has had leading roles in companies providing fuels and technology in the bio-energy industry, another company developing sustainable energy solutions for the automotive industry, and a company operating wind power plants. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Vattenfall, and as Industrial Growth Executive of the European company InnEnergy.
  Politically, he has served on board of Swedish and European Environmental Citizen’s organizations, several Swedish Government Committees developing energy and environmental legislation, and China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development as a member of a task force on Low-Carbon Industrialization Strategies. From 2008 until 2011 he was Director General of the National Swedish Energy Agency. He was also a member of the Swedish Climate Policy Council between 2018 and 2021.

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  Takejiro SueyoshiVice-Chair of Executive Board

  After graduating from University of Tokyo, Takejiro Sueyoshi joined the Mitsubishi Bank (MUFG Bank, Ltd.) in 1967 and worked for the bank until 1998. During his years with Nikko Asset Management as Deputy President, he was appointed as a member of the UNEP FI Steering Committee.　In addition to the involvement in the UNEP FI activities in the Asia Pacific Region, he is giving many educational speeches about environmental problems and CSR/SRI in various government councils, seminars, universities and TV programs. Former member of the Council for Japan’s Prime Minister on Climate Change Policy, a Trustee member of Carbon Disclosure Project and Chairperson of WWF Japan since September 2018.
  His publications include “Ondanka Kogi　(A lecture on Global Warming)” (Toyo Keizai), “Yugai Rensa (Chain of Harmfulness)” (Gentousha), “Green New Deal” (Editor,Kankyou Shinbun), “Saishin CSR Jijyo( The Newest Book on CSR)”(Hokuseido).

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  Teruyuki OhnoExecutive Director

  Teruyuki Ohno joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2013. He has actively participated in the policy formation of Japan’s climate change measures as a member of the subcommittee of carbon pricing and others led by the Ministry of the Environment Japan. Before joining the Institute, he was Director General of the Bureau of Environment, Tokyo Metropolitan Government for three years, covering a broad range of environmental issues including energy, climate change, waste management, pollution control, natural environment, and sustainable development. His notable achievements include the “No Dirty Diesel Vehicle Strategy in Tokyo” which reduced the air pollution and PM emissions, and implementation of Japan’s first Cap-and-Trade Program in Tokyo in 2008, involving the industries and successfully building a grand consensus. His active leadership in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency led to the formation of the foundation of Tokyo’s energy policy. He also serves as part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo, Adviser for ICLEI Japan, Board Member of WWF Japan and Counselor to the Governor on Zero Emission Tokyo and Environmental Policy. He received the Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award from the California Air Resources Board in 2014. His publications include "Energy Strategies of Municipality Governments" (Iwanami, 2013, Japanese) among others.

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  David SuzukiBoard Member

  In 1990 David Suzuki co-founded The David Suzuki Foundation to work with“government, business and individuals to conserve our environment by providing science-based education, advocacy and policy work for social change that today’s situation demands”. He is Companion to the Order of Canada and a recipient of UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for science, the United Nations Environment Program medal, the 2009 Right Livelihood Award, Global 500, and the Inamori Ethics Prize. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and holds 29 honorary degrees from universities around the world. He is familiar to television audiences as host of the multi-award winning long-running CBC science and natural history television series The Nature of Things. For 35 years, he and his wife, Dr. Tara Cullis, have worked extensively with Canada's First Nations people. He has been honoured with seven names and formal adoption by three tribes. His written work includes more than 55 books, 19 of them for children.

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  Amory B. LovinsBoard Member

  For more than 4 decades, Amory B. Lovins has been advising about the nexus of energy, resources, environment, development, and security in more than 50 countries including the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense. He is widely considered among the world’s leading authorities on energy—especially its efficient use and sustainable supply—and a fertile innovator in integrative design. He has published more than 30 books and 470 papers, and won numerous awards including the Right Livelihood Award (the “Alternative Nobel”) , the Onassis Foundation’s first Delphi Prize (one of the world’s top environmental awards), the Nissan Prize, the Blue Planet Prize, and the Shingo Prize (Nobel –like prize in Manufacturing). In 2009, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, Foreign Policy and one of the 100 top global thinkers. His 31st book with a large RMI team, Reinventing Fire (2011, also in Japanese), roadmaps how to eliminate U.S. oil, coal, and nuclear power by 2050 and save $5 trillion, led by business for profit. In 2013–16 he co-led a similarly rigorous and surprising roadmapping of China’s energy transformation for the National Development and Reform Commission, helping to inform the 13th Five Year Plan. In 2016, the President of Germany awarded him that nation’s highest civilian honor for helping inspire and guide its energy transition.

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  Dörte FouquetBoard Member

  Dörte Fouquet leads the Brussels office of the law firm Becker Büttner Held (BBH) since January 2011. With more than 30 years of experience, she is a recognized international expert in the areas of energy, environmental and competition law. She is a trusted expert partner of the European institutions. Her client base includes government authorities, non-profit organisations, academic institutions and private companies. She is also Director of the European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF), thus constantly working with renewable energy associations on national and European level.

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  Shigeki (Sean) MiwaBoard Member

  Shigeki (Sean) Miwa holds several positions concurrently including Board Member of Exeger Operations AB (from 2019), Representative Director & CEO of SB Energy Corp. (from 2017), Managing Director – CEO Project Office (from 2016) at SoftBank Group Corp., Board Member of Altaeros Energies, Inc. (from 2014), Board Member of the Renewable Energy Institute (from 2014), and Director of Clean Energy Asia LLC (from 2012). Before joining SoftBank Corp. (currently SoftBank Group Corp.) in 2011 , he worked for Mitsui & Co. Ltd., from 1991 mainly in the natural resources and energy sector, based in Tokyo, Sydney and Brisbane.
  He graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo with a BA in history, received a Master of Financial Management and an MBA from the Graduate School of Management, Macquarie University in Sydney, and completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School in Boston.

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  Takamitu SawaBoard Member

  Takamitsu Sawa got his PhD degree in economics from the University of Tokyo in 1970. He had been an Associate Professor of Economics from 1969 to 1980 when he was promoted to a Professor of Economics at Kyoto University. He had been a Director of the Kyoto Institute of Economic Research for 13 years until 2006 when he retired from Kyoto University. In 2006 he was appointed as a Distinguished Professor of Policy Science at Ritsumeikan University; he had been the President of Shiga University from 2010 to 2016; now he is a University Professor at Shiga University. His field of research includes statistics, econometrics, and environmental economics. He had been the President of the Society of Environmental Economics and Policy Studies from 1995 to 2005.

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  Hiroko KuniyaBoard Member

  From 1989 to 1993, Hiroko Kuniya was assigned as an anchor of “World News” on NHK BS. She hosted “Close-up Gendai”, a daily current affairs program on NHK-TV from 1993 to 2016. She is a Trustee of Tokyo University of the Arts, Project Professor at Keio University Graduate School, FAO National Goodwill Ambassador for Japan and worked as a journalist covering topics related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  Awarded Broadcast Woman Prize in 1998, Kan KIKUCHI Award in 2002, Japan National Press Club Prize in 2011 and Galaxy Special Prize in 2016. She graduated from Brown University, US.

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  Kiyoshi MatsuoAuditor

  Kiyoshi Matsuo joined Price Waterhouse (currently PricewaterhouseCoopers) in 1977 and registered as a CPA in 1982. He transferred to the New York office of the company in 1986. In 1992, he became a partner and worked as representative of Japanese corporation department. In 1996, he joined New York office of Tohmatsu (currently Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC) and was assigned to the Tokyo Office in 2000． After experiencing several managerial positions, he became Head of Global Service Department in 2010. In 2013 he established Matsuo Kiyoshi Accounting Office and has been working as representative since then.