Mr Yamashita is a Japanese lawyer and politician. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo in 1990. He is currently serving his fourth term as a Member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP). His constituency is Okayama 2nd Ward, including cities of Okayama, Tamano and Setouchi.

During his political career he has served as Minister of Justice in 2018-2019 under the Abe Cabinet. He currently serves multiple roles at the LDP; Deputy Secretary-General, Deputy Chair of Commission on the Judiciary System, and Deputy Chair of Special Committee on Female Empowerment.

Prior to holding elected office, Mr Yamashita was a prosecutor, and served in several assignments, including as Senior Attorney for International Affairs at the Ministry of Justice and Legal Attache to the Embassy of Japan in the United States of America. He attended Columbia Law School on a Fulbright scholarship in 1997.

Petra has over 20 years of Sales and Retail experience with IKEA and has a strong passion to lead and develop both business and people. She started her IKEA career as a Sales co-worker in Kungens Kurva, IKEA Sweden, in 2000 and over the next 7 years she took on many challenges, holding several different positions including Deputy and Acting Country Sales Manager.

In 2007, she became Sales Development Manager in IKEA Services Group Retail, lead and developed the commercial priorities and sales potentials for the Global Common Store Planning (CSP) together with Communication & Interior design and Logistics.

In 2010 she moved to Poland as Country Sales Manager and then took the position of Deputy Country Retail Manager, IKEA Poland.

In 2013 she moved back to Sweden to work with Range & Supply. Over 4 years she had several positions including Deputy Business Area Manager Bedroom & Bathroom and Global Business Area Manager Textiles & Collections, responsible for developing IKEA global range.

Since 2019 she became the Global Business Area Manager Bedroom in which she was accountable for developing business strategy, range development and product offer including communication and the strategic purchasing for the range sold in all IKEA markets and channels worldwide.

From August 1st 2021, she is President / CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Japan.

Seiji Yasubuchi joined AXA Life Insurance Co., Ltd. as Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer in April 2019, and also assumed the role of Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of AXA Holdings Japan in June 2019. In April, 2021, he additionally assumed the role of Chairperson of the Board of AXA General Insurance (Korea).

AXA Holdings Japan is a holding company overseeing three insurance companies in Japan, namely, AXA Life Japan, AXA Direct Life, and AXA General Insurance Japan.

Prior to this, Seiji was Representative Director, Country Manager of Visa World Wide Japan (2017-2019), President & CEO of GE Capital Japan since 2007. He joined GE in 2006 as SVP, GE Commercial Finance Asia.

He was Managing Director at UBS Investment Bank (2001-2006), and Executive Director at Ripplewood Japan (1999-2001). Seiji started his career at Mitsubishi Corporation in 1979, where he held various roles including Head of Investor Relations, and Executive Assistant to the Chairman, and worked in Tokyo, Sendai, London and New York.

Seiji is Supporter for Declaration of Action by “Group of Male Leaders Who will Create a Society in which Women Shine,” and is ranked within Top 10 for 3 years in a row globally for the “Outstanding LGBT+ Role Model List” Top 50 Ally Executives.

He is also a member of the Operating Committee of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Member of Board of Trustees, Shizenkan University, Director, Mogi-Honke Foundation for Education & Culture, Director, Dialogue Japan Society, Member of Board of Councilors, KIBOW, and one of 100 Founders of UWC ISAK Japan.

Seiji holds a B.A. in Economics from Waseda University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Vivian Tokai is the North Asia Director of the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network based in Tokyo and covering Japan and South Korea. She is responsible for programme development and client engagement. She works closely with c-level executives on key economic and political issues and industry-specific analysis to support their businesses in the region.

Vivian is a government affairs and public policy professional with 25 years of experience covering a wide variety of sectors, including energy, environment, aviation, transportation, defense, IT and digital economy. She has extensive senior leadership experience with a wide range of blue-chip multinational businesses in Japan. Prior to joining the Economist Group, she led Japan government relations activities at UPS, GE, Facebook, eBay and Honeywell. She was responsible for developing and executing strategic lobbying approaches, and ensuring strong relationships with regulators and government leaders.

Vivian has been active in a number of business organisations. She is a member of the Keizai Doyukai, Japan Association of Corporate Executives, and has held various board roles with the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. She has also been a visiting professor and lecturer at a number of Japanese universities including Chuo University and Showa Women’s University.

Her personal commitment is female empowerment. She served as Chief Diversity Officer at Citigroup in Japan and was selected as Women’s Leadership member at GE.

Vivian also possesses extensive experience in the media. She anchored a sports news segment of a daily evening news program at NHK, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. She earned a Master of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism from School of Journalism, College of Communication, Boston University. She can speak Japanese and English, and introductory Chinese, Korean and French.