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About Us

Management Team

(As of March 28, 2013)
*1: Outside directors stipulated under Corporate Law of Japan
*2: Outside auditors stipulated under Corporate Law of Japan
*3: Independent company auditor filed to the Stock Exchange

Chairman and CEO

Hiroshi Mikitani
Hiroshi Mikitani is a founder of Rakuten, Inc. Mr. Mikitani served as President from its inception in 1997, and became Chairman of the company from 2001. Mr. Mikitani is also Chairman of Rakuten Card Co., Ltd, Chairman of Rakuten Travel, Inc., Chairman of Crimson Football Club, Inc., Representative Director of Japan Association of New Economy, Director (President of Board of Directors) of PRICEMINISTER S.A.S., and Chairman of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.. Prior to founding Rakuten, Mr. Mikitani established a consulting business, Crimson Group in 1996. Prior to founding Crimson Group, Mr. Mikitani worked at the Industrial Bank of Japan, Ltd. (currently Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.) from 1988 to 1996. Mr. Mikitani received his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Executive Vice President and Representative Director

Atsushi Kunishige
Atsushi Kunishige is Executive Vice President and Representative Director, and Executive Vice President Executive Officer of Rakuten, Mr. Kunishige is also Chairman and Director of Rakuten Bank, Ltd. Mr. Kunishige joined Rakuten, Inc. in 2003, and served as a Representative Director from 2005 to 2008. Mr. Kunishige was President of DLJdirect SFG Securities, Inc. (currently Rakuten Securities, Inc.) from 1999 to 2003, and President of Sumitomo Capital Securities Co., Ltd. from 1997 to 1999. Mr. Kunishige was with Sumitomo Bank Co., Ltd. (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation) from 1968 to 1997. Mr. Kunishige received his MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Senior Executive Officer and Director

Masatada Kobayashi
Masatada Kobayashi is a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten, Head of Americas Regional Headquarters Office of the Company, and Director (Chairman) of LinkShare Corporation. Mr. Kobayashi joined Rakuten in 1997. Prior to Rakuten, Mr. Kobayashi worked at RCA Co. Ltd from 1996 to 1997. Prior to RCA Co. Ltd, Mr. Kobayashi worked at Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. from 1994 to 1996.
Toru Shimada
Toru Shimada is a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten. Mr. Shimada is a Director of Rakuten Baseball, Inc., and Head of Asia Regional Headquarters Office of the Company.Mr. Shimada joined Rakuten in 2004. Prior to joining Rakuten, Mr. Shimada was founder and Director of INTELLIGENCE, LTD from 1989 to 2004. Prior to INTELLIGENCE, LTD. Mr. Shimada worked at RECRUIT CO., LTD. from 1987 to 1989.
Akio Sugihara
Akio Sugihara is a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten. Mr. Sugihara is Head of the Global Human Resources Department of the Company. Mr. Sugihara joined Rakuten in 1997. Prior to Rakuten, Mr. Sugihara was the founder and CEO of RCA Co. Ltd from 1996 to 1997.
Kazunori Takeda
Kazunori Takeda is a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten. Mr. Takeda is Head of Logistics Business of the Company. Mr. Takeda joined Rakuten in 2006. Prior to Rakuten, Mr. Takeda worked at TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION from 1986. Mr. Takeda holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Kentaro Hyakuno
Kentaro Hyakuno is a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten. Mr. Hyakuno is Head of Global Business Department of the Company, and Director (CEO) of Play Holdings Limited. Mr. Hyakuno joined Rakuten in 2007. Prior to Rakuten, Mr. Hyakuno worked at TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION from 1990.
Hiroaki Yasutake
Hiroaki Yasutake is a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten, and Deputy Chief in charge of the Development Unit. Mr. Yasutake joined Rakuten in 1998. Prior to Rakuten, Mr. Yasutake worked at NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION from 1997 to 1998.
Yoshihisa Yamada
Yoshihisa Yamada is CFO, and a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten. Mr. Yamada is Head of Finance Department of the Company, President and Representative Director of bitWallet, Inc, and Vice Chairman and Representative Director of Rakuten Travel, Inc. Mr. Yamada joined Rakuten in 2000. Prior to Rakuten, Mr. Yamada worked at the Industrial Bank of Japan, Ltd. (currently Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.) from 1987 to 1999. Mr. Yamada holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Director

Charles B.Baxter
Charles B. Baxter was reappointed as a Director of Rakuten in 2011. Mr. Baxter had previously served as a Director from 2001 to 2003. Mr. Baxter is Director (Chairman) of Buy.com Inc., Director of Rakuten USA, Inc., a Director of LinkShare Corporation, and Chairman of Wineshipping.com LLC since 2004.
Koichi Kusano
Koichi Kusano is a Director of our company. Mr. Kusano has served as a Director since 1999. Mr. Kusano is a senior partner of the law firm Nishimura & Asahi. Mr. Kusano graduated from Harvard Law School.
Ken Kutaragi
Ken Kutaragi is a Director of our company. Mr. Kutaragi has served as a Director since 2010. Mr. Kutaragi is an Outside Director of Nojima Corporation, Honorary Chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and an Outside Director of KADOKAWA GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. Mr. Kutaragi had been working at Sony Corporation since 1975, becoming Director in 2000 and Deputy President and COO in 2003.
Hiroshi Fukino
Hiroshi Fukino is a Director of our company since 2008. Mr. Fukino is President of Fukino Consulting, Inc. and an Outside Director of MISUMI Group Inc. Mr. Fukino was Chairman and CEO at Dell Japan Inc. from 1994 to 2002.
Jun Murai
Jun Murai is a Director of Rakuten. He is an Outside Director of BroadBand Tower, Inc. and Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University. Dr. Murai has been lecturing at this faculty at Keio University since 1990, when he joined as Associate Professor. Dr. Murai received his Ph.D in Engineering from Keio University.
Joshua G.James
Joshua G. James is a Director of our company. Mr. James has served as a Director since 2011. Mr. James is Trustee of Save the Children Federation, Inc. and Member of World Economic Forum of Young Global Leaders, and Founder and CEO of Domo, Inc. Prior to Domo, Inc. Mr. James was Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Omniture Business Unit of Adobe Systems Inc. and Founder and CEO of Omniture, Inc. in 1996.

Company Auditor

Tanekiyo Kunitake
Tanekiyo Kunitake is a Company Auditor of our company. Mr. Kunitake has served as a Company Auditor since 2009. Mr. Kunitake has also been an auditor at Rakuten Securities, Inc. (formerly DLJdirect SFG Securities, Inc.) since 1999. Prior to DLJdirect SFG Securities, Inc., Mr. Kunitake had been working at Sumitomo Bank Co., Ltd. (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation) from 1967 to 1999.
Yoshiaki Senoo
Yoshiaki Senoo is a Company Auditor of our company. Mr. Senoo has served as a Company Auditor since 2011. Mr. Senoo has also served as a Company Auditor of Rakuten Bank, Ltd since 2010. Mr. Senoo was previously at Japan Post Holdings Co., Ltd. as an Executive Officer from 2008 to 2010.
Takeo Hirata
Takeo Hirata is a Company Auditor of our company. Mr. Hirata has served as a Company Auditor since 2007. Mr. Hirata is a professor of Waseda University Graduate School of Sport Sciences, and Chairman of the Japan Society of Sports Industry. Mr. Hirata has a Master's degree from Harvard Kennedy School.
Katsuyuki Yamaguchi
Katsuyuki Yamaguchi is a Company Auditor of our company. Mr. Yamaguchi has served as a Company Auditor since 2001. Mr. Yamaguchi is a partner of the law firm, Nishimura & Asahi. Mr. Yamaguchi graduated from Columbia Law School.
  • Profiles are as of March 28, 2013.
  • Note: Mr. Kusano, Mr. Kutaragi, Mr. Fukino, Mr. Murai, and Mr. James are Outside Directors as stipulated in Paragraph 15, Article 2 of the Corporate Law of Japan. Mr. Kunitake, Mr. Senoo, Mr. Hirata, and Mr. Yamaguchi are Outside Company Auditors as stipulated in Paragraph 16, Article 2 of the Corporate Law of Japan.
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