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Click on speaker names for title and biography.
- Kurt Tong, U.S.
Senior Official, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), U.S. Department of State
- Atsuo Shibota,
Director-General, Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau, Japan's Ministry of
Economy Trade and Industry (METI)
- Hiroaki Ishii,
Executive Vice President, Japan External
Trade Organization (JETRO)
- Daniel
Okimoto, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University
- Yasuyo
Yamazaki, President, Sun-Based Economy Association
- Tsuyoshi
Hoshina, Chief Technology Officer, Nihon Unisys
- Peter M.
Fannon, Vice President of Corporate & Government Affairs, Panasonic Corp. of
North America
- Masazumi
Ishii, Managing Director, AZCA, Inc.
- Vijay
Parmar, Vice President of Business Development, GainSpan
- Jeff
Smidt, Senior Vice President of Renewable Energy, Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
- Jit
Bhattacharya, Chief Executive Officer, Mission Motors
 Kurt Tong
U.S. Senior Official, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), U.S. Department of State
Term of Appointment: 12/17/2009 to present
Kurt Tong is the Economic Coordinator for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, organizing bureau-wide efforts
on economic policy issues. He is also U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), managing all
aspects of U.S. participation in that organization.
Mr. Tong has spent 17 years working and studying in East Asia, including service at the U.S. Embassies in Manila,
Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul. Most recently, he served as Director for Korean Affairs at the Department of State from 2008
to 2009. Prior to that, he was Director for Asian Economic Affairs at the National Security Council from 2006 to 2008.
He was a Visiting Scholar at the Tokyo University Faculty of Economics from 1995 to 1996. Prior to joining the Foreign
Service, Mr. Tong was an Associate with the Boston Consulting Group in Tokyo.
Mr. Tong holds a B.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and
studied graduate-level economics at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. He has also studied at the Beijing Institute of
Education, Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies in Taipei, Inter-University Center for Japanese
Language Studies in Tokyo, and International Christian University in Tokyo.
Mr. Tong speaks and reads Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. He has published articles in Nihon Keizai Kenkyu (an
academic journal of the Japan Center for Economic Research), Foreign Policy, and the Bulletin of Concerned Asian
Scholars (now Critical Asian Studies).
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 Atsuo Shibota
Director-General, Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau, Japan's Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI)
Mr. Atsuo Shibota is Director-General of the Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau in Japan's Ministry of Economy
Trade and Industry (METI).
He earned a LL.B from the University of Tokyo and received a Master of Business Administration from the University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in 1977. He was
posted to various positions in the Japanese government, including Director of Global Environmental Affairs Office in
MITI, Economic Counselor of the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.(1992-1995), Director of Public Relations
Division, Director of Americas Division, Director of Aerospace and Defense Industries Division, Director for
Manufacturing Industries Policy, Director of Policy Coordination Division in Small and Medium Enterprise Agency,
Director-General of Trade Control Department in METI, Director-General of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
BEIJING, and Director-General for Energy Consultation in METI.
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 Hiroaki Ishii
Executive Vice President, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Mr. Hiroaki Ishii is the Executive Vice President of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
He joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in 1980 and was posted to various positions in the
Japanese government, including First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., Director for
International Nuclear Energy Affairs, Agency of Natural Resources and Energy (1994-96), Senior Executive Director for
Long and Medium Term Insurance, Export-Investment Insurance Dept. of MITI, Executive Director, Structured and
Trade Finance Insurance Department, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) (1999-2002), Director of
Service Affairs Policy Division, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
(2002-04), Commercial Minister of the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., in charge of trade and energy affairs
(2004-07), and Director-General, Planning Department of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)(2007-2009).
He graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1980 with a B.A. in economics and received his M.P.A. from Princeton
University's Woodrow Wilson School for International and Public Affairs in 1986. He is married and has a daughter and
a son.
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 Daniel Okimoto
Professor Emeritus, Stanford University
Professor Daniel I. Okimoto is Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Senior Fellow Emeritus of the Freeman-Spogli
Institute for International Studies, and Director Emeritus of the Asia/Pacific Research Center at Stanford University.
From 2005 – 09, he served as the Chairman, Global Institute at Sterling Stamos Capital Management.
During his 33 years at Stanford, Professor Okimoto has played a central role in establishing several interdisciplinary
programs and research institutions, including the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, the East Asian
Studies Program, and the Stanford Center in Japan.
In 1978, he co-founded the Shorenstein Asia/Pacific Research Center, a leading center for scholarly research, public
policy, and policy outreach. He has been Vice-Chairman of the Japan Committee of the National Research Council at
the National Academy of Sciences and a member of the Advisory Council of the Department of Politics at Princeton
University.
Professor Okimoto has served on the Board of Directors of Silicon Valley start-up companies and has served as senior
advisor to a number of American and Japanese corporations.
From 1984 – 2000, he served as a special policy advisor to US Senator Bill Bradley. He worked on Senator Bradley's
Presidential Campaign in 1999 – 2000. Since August 2009, he has been serving as Special Policy Advisor for US
Ambassador to Japan, John V. Roos, particularly on policy issues related to clean technology.
In 2004, Professor Okimoto received the Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendation in recognition of his contributions
to US-Japan relations during the 150th year celebration of bilateral relations.
In 2007, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun with Goldray Neck Ribbon by the Japanese government, the
highest honor that can be conferred on a non-Japanese.
In 2009, he was awarded "The Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Keizai Society, US-Japan Business Council of
Silicon Valley.
Professor Okimoto earned a BA from Princeton University, an MA from Harvard University, and a PhD (Political Science)
from the University of Michigan. He is the author and editor of numerous books and articles, including Between
MITI and the Market: Japanese Industrial Policy for High Technology and co-editor, The Political Economy of
Japan and Competitive Edge: The Semiconductor Industry in the U.S. and Japan, and, "The Financial Crisis and
America's Capital Dependence on Japan and China,” in Asia-Pacific Review, Vol. 16, No. 1, May 2009.
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 Yasuyo Yamazaki
President, Sun-Based Economy Association
Yasuyo Yamazaki is the founding President of Sun-Based Economy Association(SBEA). He
advocates "Sun-Based Economy” vision, a novel socio-economic model, which is based on the effective use of
renewable energy such as solar energy and wind power. The ultimate aim of this vision is to resolve imminent world
social issues by utilizing such ubiquitous, free, and sustainable energy sources. Since energy is vital for our life and
hence has been a fundamental security issue, the shift from fossil fuel-based economy to "Sun-Based Economy” will
entail drastic changes in the industrial structure. SBEA hosts a broad range of activities for bringing such social changes
as well as for fostering new business opportunities based on sustainable biological systems.
In parallel to the activities of SBEA, Yamazaki also works as the special advisor for Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communication of Japan, proposing several economic policies that aim at revitalizing the long stagnated Japanese
economy. He has published and spoken widely on the subject of finance and international economic issues.
Prior to founding SBEA, Yamazaki had 20-year career in finance as a specialist in investment banking and asset
management and led a number of high profile projects. He was President of Goldman Sachs Asset Management (Japan)
from 1994 to 2004, during which the company developed as the top foreign asset management company in Japan. The
prestigious finance prizes he won during his finance career include the Nikkei Finance Daily's Best Commodity Prize
(1991) and Nikkei PR Prize (1999).
He studied economics at University of Tokyo and obtained M.B.A from University of California, Los Angeles.
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 Tsuyoshi Hoshina
Chief Technology Officer, Nihon Unisys
Tsuyoshi Hoshina was appointed CTO effectively on April 1, 2004. He joined Nihon Unisys in 1981
and started his work of research and application development in the fields of mathematical programming and artificial
intelligence. He later became the chief architect in planning and development of "Tippler" (object-oriented
development
environment), "SYSTEM v" (Transactional Object Request Broker), "LUCINA" (System
development
methodology), and "asaban.com" (Application Service Provider business). Prior to becoming CTO, he
headed the
Business Aggregation business unit in 2002, and Advanced Technology division in 2003.
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 Peter M. Fannon
Vice President of Corporate & Government Affairs, Panasonic Corp. of North America
Mr. Fannon manages Panasonic's Corporate Environmental, Government & Public Affairs, and
Product Safety & Regulatory Compliance groups. In addition, he serves as a company spokesman; and he
participates
in technology development and evaluation activities associated with new products and services. He also represents
Panasonic in a variety of industry, trade, and advisory organizations. Currently he serves on the Consumer Electronics
Association's Board of Industry Leaders and the CEA Political Action Committee Board of Directors.
Before joining Panasonic in 1997, Mr. Fannon was active in digital television development. He was President of the
Advanced Television Test Center (ATTC), the Emmy Award-winning official laboratory for testing new TV broadcast
systems submitted to the Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service (ACATS) of the Federal Communications
Commission. He also chaired the HDTV Coalition of industry, trade, and consumer organizations to promote FCC and
industry adoption of the ATSC Digital Television standard. He twice received the "Best Industry DTV Leadership Award”
from CEA's Academy of Digital Television Pioneers.
Earlier, Mr. Fannon worked in public television. He was President, National Association of Public Television Stations
(NAPTS), which he helped establish as the research, planning, and government affairs organization for public TV.
Before that he was the first Director of Planning for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), focusing on development of
new program services, network-station coordination, promotion, and fundraising and development.
Mr. Fannon has also held posts in the Federal government, in the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) and the
General Services Administration (GSA).
He earned Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in International Relations from The Johns Hopkins University and its
School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture & Television
Engineers
(SMPTE), a member of several professional associations, past member of The Johns Hopkins Library Council, and
active in international student exchange and theater organizations.
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 Masazumi Ishii
Managing Director, AZCA, Inc.
Masazumi "Masa" Ishii is founder and Managing Director of AZCA, Inc. and Managing
Director with
Noventi Ventures.
AZCA (www.azcainc.com) is a professional services firm founded in
1985, specializing in corporate development for high technology ventures. To date, AZCA has assisted numerous
companies in North America in building business in Japan and other parts of Asia through various forms of corporate
strategic alliance. Many of AZCA's clients are emerging companies in the areas of high-technology including electronics,
information technology, environmental technology, and life sciences, among others.
Noventi (www.noventivc.com) was founded in 2002 to manage
early-stage technology venture capital investment funds. Noventi's second fund, launched in 2006, targets the
greentech space. Noventi sees this as a large application domain with an expanding pool of innovative technology
entrepreneurs applying their product and business skills to alternative energy sources and to innovative energy and
environmental applications. To date, Noventi has invested in early stage companies in the biodiesel, thin film PV,
lighting control, and small wind areas.
Masa has over 25 years of experience as a professional in international business and high technology. He has been an
active venture investor in emerging technology companies during the past 15 years. Formerly, Masa worked at
McKinsey & Company, Inc. and at IBM Japan.
Masa serves on the board and the advisory board of several multinational companies. He is a frequent speaker and
writer on issues involving international business development in the high technology industry, and is a well-recognized
member of the Pacific Rim business infrastructure. He is also a visiting professor at Shizuoka University in Japan (www.eng.shizuoka.ac.jp) and a Senior Executive Advisor to
PARC (Palo Alto research Center, www.parc.com).
Masa holds a Bachelor of Engineering in mathematical engineering and instrumentation physics from the University of
Tokyo and a Master of Science in computer science from Stanford University.
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 Naoyuki Hasegawa
Chief Executive Director, JETRO San Francisco
Mr. Naoyuki Hasegawa is the Chief Executive Director of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) San Francisco. Prior to joining JETRO in 2009, he was Councilor of Cabinet Office in Japanese government, in charge of drafting the legal framework of Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC) and leading it to approval by the Diet.
Mr. Hasegawa has a long career in export control in governmental director positions, such as Policy, Licensing, Enforcement, and International Nuclear Affairs, in Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and was the core board member of Japan Association of International Security and Trade. Mr. Hasegawa has also had contact with U.S. in various aspects, including having visited and tasted all 50 US states. He once was the player of U.S.-Japan bilateral insurance dialogue and led to the settlement of the case when he was the first Director of Insurance Examination Office in Financial Services Agency (FSA) in 1998. He was a Property and Casualty insurance broker and worked in New York for three years from 2001, in charge of covering political risks and commercial risks in the western hemisphere, as Chief Representative of Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI). He earned LL.B from Tokyo University and was a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University under Professor Daniel Okimoto.
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 Michael Kanellos
Editor in Chief, Greentech Media
Michael Kanellos is the Editor in Chief at Greentech Media, where he covers emerging technologies
and companies in the green world. Prior to joining the company in 2008, he worked for CNET Network's News.com for
eleven years. Among other jobs at CNET, he launched the company's push into clean technology. He has appeared on
NPR, CBS, CNBC, Fox News and other media outlets and has spoken at CES, the Japan Business Strategy Summit,
Ceatec, the Irish Software Association, Stanford, U.C. Berkeley, the Flash Memory Summit and Clean Energy Venture
Summit. A graduate of Cornell University and the University of California (Hastings), he has worked as an attorney and
a travel writer.
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 Rob Schmitz
Los Angeles Bureau Chief, KQED
Rob Schmitz is the Los Angeles Bureau Chief for The California Report, a program aired statewide
on NPR affiliate KQED. He is a regular contributor to National Public Radio, Marketplace, and PRI's "The World,”
and is
the recipient of numerous journalism awards. Schmitz's reporting focuses on the environment, immigration, and
California's role in the global economy, a beat that has taken him to China, Mexico, Japan, and Denmark. In 2009,
Schmitz was awarded the Abe Fellowship for Journalists, which enabled him to spend nearly two months in Japan,
reporting a series of stories about what California can learn from Japan's impressive record of energy efficiency. A
month after he returned, KQED sent him to Copenhagen to cover the U.N. Climate Change Conference. Prior to
working for KQED, Schmitz reported for Southern California Public Radio/KPCC, where he covered Orange County, as
well as Minnesota Public Radio, where he reported on rural issues. Schmitz is also a freelance video journalist. He's
worked on documentaries in China for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and New York Times Television.
Previously Schmitz was a freelance writer in China, where he lived for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer and
nearly another year as a journalist. His work has appeared on The Learning Channel, the CBC, and in publications
including The New York Times, The Star-Ledger and The Christian Science Monitor. He has a master's degree from
Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in Spanish from the
University of Minnesota.
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 Phil Keys
U.S. Correspondent, Nikkei Electronics
Before joining Nikkei Business Publications in 1998, Phil Keys spent over ten years working in
positions in the high technology industry related to the Japanese computer market, with seven of those actually based
in Japan. Before joining Nikkei Electronics in June of 2001, Phil spent three years as a staff editor for another NikkeiBP
publication, Nikkei Internet Technology. Graduated with a Bachelors Degree from UC Berkeley and also spent one year
as an exchange student at International Christian University in Tokyo.
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 Vijay Parmar
Vice President of Business Development, GainSpan
Vijay Parmar is the Vice President of Business Development of Gainspan Corporation, a spinout of
Intel. Mr. Parmar has 20+ years of experience in technology in roles including general management, marketing, and
software engineering.
Prior to Gainspan, Mr Parmar was the General Manager of the same business within Intel. He drove the strategy,
business plan, customer engagement and product roadmap taking the wireless sensor network seed to fully funded
business in Intel and then to a VC-funded private enterprise.
Mr. Parmar joined Intel in 2001 pursuant to Intel's acquisition of VxTel, Inc., a VoIP silicon solution company, where he
served as the Vice President of Marketing. At VxTel, he built key strategic relationships with customers and ecosystem
including one with Intel.
Prior to joining VxTel, Mr. Parmar held various executive positions at AMD in networking, communications and personal
computing including four years in Asia-Pacific as regional marketing manager of AMD's microprocessor business.
Mr. Parmar received a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology,
Mumbai and an MBA from Tulane University.
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 Jeff Smidt
Vice President & General Manager of Global Energy Business, Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Jeffrey Smidt is vice president and general manager of Underwriters Laboratories' (UL) global
energy business. As the leader of one of UL's fastest growing businesses, Smidt is responsible for the strategic planning
and related execution activities for the Gas & Oil, Renewable Energy and Large Battery industries. He works very
closely with industry stakeholders including other business leaders, governmental regulatory bodies, manufacturers,
installers, designers and others, to make sure safety is at the forefront of global energy industries. Most recently, Smidt
was quoted in leading business and trade publications including Financial Times, International PV Magazine, and
PHOTON discussing renewable energy challenges and opportunities.
Prior to this role, Smidt was general manager of UL's Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Division. In this role, he was
responsible for setting the strategic direction for the division, directing sales, marketing and account management
activities as well as identifying and pursuing acquisition targets to meet corporate growth goals.
Smidt joined UL in 2004, having worked for BearingPoint, Inc., as a manager within their consulting services. There he
provided project management and process/technology design expertise to several large-scale clients within the
services sector.
Smidt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Drake University, Iowa and a master's
degree in business administration from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. He lives in Chicago
area with his wife, Ashling, and their two sons Benjamin and Timothy.
 Jit Bhattacharya
Chief Executive Officer, Mission Motors
Jit Bhattacharya is the CEO of Mission Motors, a high-performance electric motorcycle and electric
powertrain company based in San Francisco. Jit assumed the role of CEO after serving a year and a half as the
company's COO and managing the development and marketing of the company's initial technology platform. Jit has an
engineering background with a Master's degree from Stanford University and experience from the product design firm,
IDEO. He also holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley where he served as co-President of the
Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative, and helped lead the launch of the campus's new Center for Energy and
Environmental Innovation. Mission Motors has developed the world's fastest pre-production electric motorcycle with a
top speed of 150 mph. The company actively partners with vehicle manufacturers as a provider of advanced electric
powertrain solutions. The company recently announced a memorandum of understanding with Zongshen Power, one of
the largest manufacturers of gasoline motorcycles and engines in China.
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U.S.-Japan Clean Tech Symposium 