Our Team

Managing Diretor

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  Managing Director Miki Umehara

  PROFILE

  Miki Umehara had worked in systems integration (SI) and consulting at IBM Japan, Ltd. She later joined the company’s headquarters, where she was involved in post-merger integration (PMI) following the IBM-PWCC merger, business process reengineering (BPR), organizational change, the establishment and sale of subsidiaries, and capital and business alliances.
  Since joining IGPI, she has been engaged in hands-on turnaround support for the food service industry, retail and wholesale businesses, and automotive parts manufacturers, as well as in M&A advisory, PMI support, and regional revitalization efforts.
  She is currently an Executive Officer at Japan Platform of Industrial Transformation, Inc. (JPiX) and a member of the Local Benchmark Utilization Strategy Conference at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
  She holds a Bachelor's degree from Tokyo Woman’s Christian University.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Takayoshi Kawakami

  PROFILE

  Takayoshi Kawakami focuses on strategy formulation and implementation as well as organizational reform and new business development. His main industrial coverage includes the media, information technologies and manufacturing. He is the CEO of IGPI Business Analytics & Intelligence, Inc., the CEO of Advanced Technology Acceleration Corporation (ATAC) and the CEO of Nagoya Institute of Technology Expansion Platform, Inc.(NITEP).
  His prior experience includes sales in a leading trading house and labor union management as Vice Secretary-General. In addition, he was with General Electric where he engaged in sales, marketing, six sigma, and business development.
  He graduated from Ritsumeikan University, College of Law.
  Board Member, Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA) , Research Advisor of The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) , and Technical Committee Member of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Naonori Kimura

  PROFILE

  Naonori Kimura’s activities include numerous advisory services such as corporate strategies including breakthroughs, strategy shifts and re-growth initiatives. He has advised clients on business management streamlining, structural reforms, financial strategy, new business development, M&A strategies, and cost competitiveness. He is currently Chairman & President of IGPI (Shanghai) Ltd. and outside director of Molten Corporation, and LIFULL Co., Ltd. He is also Advisory board member of The Japan Times ESG consortium.
  Prior to IGPI, he launched a venture business, worked with NCR Japan and later at Towers Perrin and Arthur D. Little Japan.
  He graduated from Keio University, School of Economics, and holds an MBA from the University of Leicester and an MS in Finance from the Lancaster University. He also completed AMP in Harvard Business School.

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  Managing Director Ryuji Kojima

  PROFILE

  Ryuji Kojima is an expert in designing and executing management strategies across diverse industries, including manufacturing, ICT, energy, finance, and non-profit sectors at Corporate Directions, Inc. (CDI). His global exposure is demonstrated through his secondment to the International Finance Corporation (Washington, D.C.) and AFRY Management Consulting (headquartered in Stockholm, stationed in Singapore). He established CDI Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd. (Singapore), where he served as Director before transitioning to IGPI.
  Currently, he leads initiatives in corporate transformation, focusing on the servitization of manufacturing, the development of long-term growth strategies through globalization and localization, supporting startups, and engaging with shareholders.
  He holds a Bachelor of Laws from Keio University, a Master’s in International Relations (major in International Economics and International Development) from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Hisataka Kodama

  PROFILE

  Prior to joining IGPI as a founding member, Hisataka Kodama worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Tokyo and in London, where he focused on business recovery and M&A advisory services. He left IGPI to be involved in establishing Nuclear Damage Compensation Facilitation Corporation (NDF), where he was responsible for special business plan development and its progress monitoring. After rejoining IGPI, his role includes, but is not limited to, strategy development, business turnarounds, and M&A advisory.
  Mr. Kodama holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Keio University and completed London Business School CFP. Advisor to the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation (NDF).

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Kohki Sakata

  PROFILE

  After joining Cap Gemini and Coca Cola, Mr. Sakata joined Revamp Corporation where he managed projects on global expansion and turnaround in various sectors including F&B, healthcare, retail, IT, etc. After joining IGPI, Mr. Sakata has managed projects mainly on global expansion and cross border M&A in various sectors such as logistics, IT, telecom, retail, media, manufacturing, etc. In addition to his broad experience in implementing solutions that has been developed in Western countries, he has developed multiple methods to transform Asian companies with focus on setting a clear vision and employee empowerment. He has proven the practicability of these methods by transforming Asian companies not only as an advisor but also as a senior management.
  He is an Executive Director of JBIC IG Partners, outside director of Datasection, Inc. and Fourth Valley Concierge Corporation.
  He graduated from Waseda University Department of Political Science and Economics and IE Business School.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Makoto Shiono

  PROFILE

  Makoto Shiono is a Partner/Managing Director at Industrial Growth Platform Inc. He is also an external director of beBit, Inc. He has been provided strategic consulting and M&A advice for a wide range of corporate and institutional clients in a variety of industries. He has 15 years of experience in private equity investments. He also serves on several government committees. He wrote books on Business, Laws and Artificial Intelligence published in Japan.
  He received BA in Law from Keio University and earned master’s degree from the Washington University in St. Louis, School of Law.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Masato Shimokawa

  PROFILE

  After working at MUFG Bank, Masato Shimokawa engaged mainly in corporate turnaround on the restructuring team at EY Transaction Advisory Service. After joining IGPI, he has been involved in projects including restructuring department stores utilizing alternative dispute resolution on business revitalization, hands-on revitalization support for food manufacturing, wholesale and retail businesses, M&A advisory, and policy advisory for regional governments.
  He is an outside director of MUFG Strategic Investment, Ltd.
  He graduated from Waseda University’s School of Commerce.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Kayoko Tanaka

  PROFILE

  While with Z-kai, Yahoo, and Tsutaya Online, Ms. Tanaka was engaged in strategic planning and new business development, business management, business division operations, etc. After joining IGPI, she has been involved in strategic planning, new business development, and execution support for industries such as information, communications and media, education, food manufacturing, etc. She has also been engaged in organization and personnel system design, and human resource development support, etc. aimed at strategy execution and sustainable growth.
  She graduated from Nagoya City University’s School of Economics, and holds an MBA from the University of Wales.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Yukihiro Tahara

  PROFILE

  Yukihiro Tahara is one of the founding partners of IGPI. He has led numerous projects to plan and execute reforms on sales and marketing mechanism for major consumer products companies. Prior to IGPI, he worked for IRCJ where he engaged in the Kanebo turnaround. He was also with CDI as Managing Director and led hands-on consulting cases that often extended long-term.
  He holds Master of Aeronautic Engineering degree from the University of Tokyo.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Akira Tamaki

  PROFILE

  After working at the Ministry of Defense on policy
  formulation, law revisions and upgrading the organization from agency to ministry, Akira Tamaki experienced consulting for government offices and for businesses including the finance, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and real estate industries at Booz Allen Hamilton (PwC Consulting, Strategy& Consulting). He was engaged mainly in areas including growth strategy, business strategy, business improvement and cost reduction. After working in the strategic consulting department of an IT company, he joined IGPI. At IGPI, he has been engaged in formulating medium-term management plans and offering hands-on management support. Tamaki graduated from Kyoto University’s Faculty of Economics.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Koichiro Toyoda

  PROFILE

  At KPMG AZSA, Koichiro Toyoda engaged in auditing and financial due diligence work centering on the manufacturing, energy and pharmaceutical industries. After joining IGPI, he has been involved in a wide range of management support business including self-investment, management plan formulation and hands-on execution support, operational reforms, new business development, M&A advisory, business and financial due diligence, and PMI for the manufacturing industry, information service industry, restaurant industry, retail industry, entertainment industry, internet and technology venture businesses, infrastructure areas and others.
  He holds a Master of Engineering from the University of Tokyo and is a CPA.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Shinichi Nikkuni

  PROFILE

  Shinichi Nikkuni is a Partner at Industrial Growth Platform, Inc. and Managing Partner of NordicNinja VC (JB Nordic Ventures), leading deeptech investments in Nordics and Baltics. At McKinsey and IGPI, he was involved with various consulting projects in manufacturing, ICT, healthcare, and utility industries as well as deeptech startup investments. He once co-founded a cleantech startup based on research at the Department of Chemistry, the University of Cambridge. He also worked for the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry in Japan to compile the New Industrial Structure Vision towards the 2030s, and then joined the establishment of JBIC IG Partners and launched a VC fund named NordicNinja VC in 2019. He serves board seats of several portfolio companies of NordicNinja VC, and management advisor of Japanese Data Center for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.
  He received a BA in Law from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from Cambridge Judge Business School.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Takayuki Hirayama

  PROFILE

  While in his previous profession as systems integrator, Takayuki Hirayama was engaged in supporting the introduction of product data management (PDM) and computer-aided design (CAD) as well as supporting the development and design for automobiles and construction machinery.
  Since joining IGPI, he has been involved mainly in the formulation and execution of business strategies, development strategies (architecture construction, design reform, modularization, etc.) and production strategies chiefly for the automotive industry and heavy industry/machine manufacturers.
  He specializes in organically connecting the engineering chain and the supply chain and in strengthening capabilities in ways that can demonstrate competitive advantage while taking into consideration the strategic, organizational and financial perspectives of growth and　turnaround.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Toshinari Furusawa

  PROFILE

  Toshinari Furusawa was engaged in supporting reforms related to supply chain management at major consulting firms, with tasks including coming up with and introducing global expansion concepts for enterprise resource planning in the manufacturing industry, formulating plans to launch overseas factories and reforming global supply chains. At IGPI, he has promoted various reforms that enhance the competitiveness of manufacturers, including providing support in business, technology and production strategy planning and execution; implementing company-wide organizational reforms; executing business management reforms; formulating M&A strategies; and enhancing cost competitiveness for various manufacturers.
  He serves as director of Advanced Technology Acceleration Corporation (ATAC) and director of Nagoya Institute of Technology Expansion Platform, Inc. (NITEP).
  He graduated from Waseda University’s School of Education and completed his master’s degree at the University of Tokyo’s School of Science.

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  Managing Partner Takashi Muraoka

  PROFILE

  Takashi Muraoka has led numerous cases on business revitalization as well as M&A and growth strategy formulation and implementation in China and other Asian markets.
  He is outside director of Shin Nippon Koki Co., Ltd., Ikegai Corporation, and INCJ, Ltd. and a former Senior Adviser of Financial Services Agency.
  He was Managing Director at IRCJ and led turnaround cases such as Mitsui Mining, Misawa Homes, Sankei and Daiei. Prior to IRCJ,
  he dealt with M&A and project finance transactions at Sanwa Bank (currently MUFG Bank, Ltd.) and covered the telecom industry at Morgan Stanley.
  He holds an MBA degree from UCLA.

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  Managing Director
  Partner (IGPI Group) Aiko Mochizuki

  PROFILE

  While with ChuoAoyama Audit Corporation, Ms. Mochizuki was engaged in statutory auditing and internal auditing for major listed companies, IPO preparation support, etc. After joining IGPI, with an emphasis on the manufacturing and internet media industries, she has been involved in management planning and execution support for revitalization and new business development projects, due diligence, M&A advisory, etc.
  She serves as an Outside Director of Euglena Co., Ltd., Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. and SmartHR, Inc.
  She graduated from Waseda University’s School of Political Science and Economics, and is a certified public accountant.