Tokyo, August 22, 2022 - Rakuten Group, Inc. today began announcing speakers for Rakuten Optimism 2022 on the official site for the world-class business conference*1. On track to become the largest business conference in the history of the Rakuten Group, Rakuten Optimism will be live-streamed around the world on September 28 and 29.
August 22, 2022
- Rakuten Group, Inc.
Rakuten Optimism 2022: Rakuten Begins Unveiling Speakers for Large-Scale Online Business Conference
- Business leaders and luminaries from around the world take to the virtual stage on September 28 and 29, united under the theme of “Tech & Green: The future is in motion.”
Rakuten Optimism is an event series designed to inspire visions of a shared brighter future, provide opportunities to discover joy, and deepen the understanding of the services and ideals underpinning the Rakuten Group’s unique ecosystem. Rakuten Optimism was first held in Japan in 2019. Last year’s edition was held as an online event, recording a total of more than 266,000 views during the conference. Building on this history of success, Rakuten Optimism 2022 will also be held as a virtual business conference. Participation is free of charge for viewers around the world*2.
Society is encountering new challenges as the world – and even daily life – changes rapidly around us. The need for new ways to drive digital transformation and create a more sustainable, greener society is greater than ever, and the key lies within technology-driven innovation. Under the theme of “Tech & Green: The future is in motion,” this year’s conference offers participants opportunities to discover new ideas and gain fresh perspectives by reflecting on the myriad ways in which the world is changing around us, while looking ahead with optimism to an even brighter future.
Rakuten Optimism 2022 welcomes many of the world’s top luminaries and business leaders from across a broad range of industries for discussions on a wide variety of themes including technology, sustainability, mobile, e-commerce, fintech, marketing and entertainment.
This year’s sessions to look forward to include an opening keynote by Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani, a fireside chat with Ming Maa (President, Grab) and Yasufumi Hirai (Group Executive Vice President, CIO & CISO, Rakuten Group), as well as an industry leader-level discussion between Ryan McInerney (President, Visa) and Masayuki Hosaka (Representative Director and Vice Chairman, FinTech Segment Leader, President of FinTech Group Company, Rakuten Group, President and CEO, Rakuten Card).
Key sessions planned for this year’s edition of Rakuten Optimism also include a fireside chat with José María Álvarez-Pallete López (Chairman and CEO, Telefónica S.A) and Mickey Mikitani, as well as a talk session with Michael Martin (CEO, 1&1 Mobilfunk GmbH; Part of 1&1 AG) and Tareq Amin (Group Executive Vice President, Rakuten Group, CEO, Rakuten Mobile, CEO, Rakuten Symphony). Additionally, David Atkinson (CEO of Konishi Decorative Arts and Crafts Co.) will join Yoshiyuki Takano (Head of Travel & Mobility Business, Vice President, Commerce Company, Senior Executive Officer, Rakuten Group) on stage for a fireside chat.
Rakuten will continue to update the official site with additional speakers and program details going forward.
*1 All speakers and program information contained in this press release are accurate at the time of release and are subject to change in the future. A detailed time schedule and addition information will be updated regularly on the Rakuten Optimism 2022 official site.
*2 Participants must register for this event in order to view the business conference sessions. Registration is free of charge. Please visit the Rakuten Optimism 2022 official site (https://optimism.rakuten.co.jp/en) for details on how to register.
Selection of featured speakers (As of August 22, 2022)
・David Atkinson, CEO, Konishi Decorative Arts and Crafts Co.
・Hiroshi Esaki, Professor, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
・Hideshi Hamaguchi, Business Designer
・William E. Kennard, Co-Founding Partner, Astra Capital Management
・Ken Kusunoki, Professor, Hitotsubashi Business School
・José María Álvarez-Pallete López, Chairman and CEO, Telefónica S.A
・Ming Maa, President, Grab
・Michael Martin, CEO, 1&1 Mobilfunk GmbH; Part of 1&1 AG
・Ryan McInerney, President, Visa
・Mai Osada, Director of SHIBUYA109 lab., Solution Strategy Department, Marketing Strategy Division, SHIBUYA109 ENTERTAINMENT Corporation
・Ajit Pai, Partner, Searchlight Capital Partners
・Kunihiro Tanaka, Founder & CEO, President, SAKURA internet, Inc.
・Asako Tsuji, CEO & Creative Director, arca inc.
・Ayako Kisa, Rakuten Optimism 2022 Moderator, Freelance Announcer
・Harry Sugiyama, Rakuten Optimism 2022 Moderator, Television Celebrity
・Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group
・Masayuki Hosaka, Representative Director and Vice Chairman, FinTech Segment Leader, President of FinTech Group Company, Rakuten Group, President and CEO, Rakuten Card
・Yasufumi Hirai, Group Executive Vice President, CIO & CISO, Rakuten Group
・Tareq Amin, Group Executive Vice President, Rakuten Group, CEO, Rakuten Mobile, CEO, Rakuten Symphony
・Akihito Kurozumi, Group Senior Managing Executive Officer, Technology Platforms Division, Rakuten Group
・Masatada Kobayashi, Group Managing Executive Officer, Chief Well-Being Officer, Rakuten Group
・Yoshiyuki Takano, Head of Travel & Mobility Business, Vice President, Commerce Company, Senior Executive Officer, Rakuten Group
・Ryo Matsumura, Senior Executive Officer, Commerce Company Vice President, Rakuten Group
・Yuzo Hashiya, Representative Director and President, Rakuten General Insurance, Chairman, Rakuten Life Insurance
・Shigenobu Kobayashi, Executive Officer, Rakuten Group, Senior Executive Officer of Rakuten Payment
・Shunsuke Konno, Executive Officer, Rakuten Group
・Rabih Dabboussi, Chief Business Officer, Rakuten Symphony
・Azita Arvani, General Manager, Rakuten Symphony Americas
*All speakers and program information contained in this press release are accurate at the time of release and are subject to change in the future.
Event overview
Event name: Rakuten Optimism 2022
Date: Wednesday, September 28 and Thursday, September 29 (Japan Standard Time)
Location/Format: Online business conference (accessible worldwide)
Cost: Free (Registration required)
Hosted by: Rakuten Group, Inc.
Official site: https://optimism.rakuten.co.jp/en
Register here: https://optimism.rakuten.co.jp/2022/registration/
*Registration available on official site.
*The names of companies, products and services in this press release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
About Rakuten
Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to approximately 1.6 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 28,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.