The movement to promote board diversity is intensifying globally as evidence is mounting that board diversity improves financial performance, financial reporting and oversight. This rationale has been the basis for moves taken by Nasdaq, Goldman Sachs and the California government. Recent media commentary raised concerns and also serves as stimulus for greater attention to the issues holding Japan back from fully harnessing the merits of board diversity. While investors, stock exchanges and the Corporate Governance Code decide what standards to hold Japan to, female board directors themselves have a critical role to play in setting and achieving diversity goals. When these women rise to the highest roles of excellence, they have an extraordinary ability to influence.

Please join this event to hear firsthand about experiences in the boardroom and what other players are doing to move Japan towards global standards.

This event is part of a our Women’s Impact Network (WIN), and we invite everyone interested in the topic, including women who serve on boards and aspire to serve on a Japanese board, to join. Men are crucial allies for helping Japan reach global standards for board diversity, so we hope to hear your opinions. While this discussion focuses on gender diversity, our society recognizes the importance of all types of diversity, and we welcome all comments at our event.

Date & Time: 

U.S. — March 4, 2021 @ 4:30 p.m. (U.S. Pacific Time)

Japan — March 5, 2021 @ 9:30 am (Japan Time)

Price  FREE!

*via Zoom

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Our Amazing Speakers

Masako Egawa | Specially Appointed Professor, Graduate School of Business Administration, Hitotsubashi University

Masako is also an independent board director of Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., and Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc. Until March 2020, she chaired the board of AGC Inc. as independent director. Currently she is Vice Chair and Public Governor of the Japan Securities Dealers Association and Chair of the Self-Regulation Board.

From 2009 through 2015, she served as Executive Vice President of the University of Tokyo, as the first female EVP in its 140-year history, and oversaw international affairs, public relations, alumni relations and development. From 2001 through 2009, she was the founding Executive Director of Japan Research Center, Harvard Business School. Prior to joining Harvard, she worked in investment banking for 15 years in New York and Tokyo.  She has served on the Tax Council(advisory body for the Prime Minister), the Financial System Council (advisory body for the Ministry of Finance) in Japan, and Global Agenda Council of World Economic Forum, among others. She received a B.A. from the University of Tokyo, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a Ph.D. from Hitotsubashi University.

Andrijana Cvetkovikj, Ph.D., MBA, Ambassador| CEO & President, BrioNexus KK

Dr. Andrijana Cvetkovikj has a Doctorate from Nihon University, Honorary Doctorate from the European University, and an Executive MBA from the Fox School of Business, Temple University. She served as the first resident Ambassador of Macedonia to Japan (2014-2018), a Visiting Associate Professor at Kyoto University (2012) and currently sits on the Board of Del Sole Corporation, and the Advisory Board of the OIST Foundation. Fluent in Japanese, English, Macedonian, Serbian and Russian, Andrijana grew up in Macedonia and has lived in the USA, Europe, and Japan. She currently is a Director of Del Sole Corporation.

Cvetkovikj is a committed advocate on diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of the United Nation’s SDGs. She has spoken at the World Economic Forum 2016 and the United Nations Conference for Climate Change in Tohoku. She also organized the “Ambassador’s Roundtable Meeting with Governor Koike, where she delivered the “Resolution for gender inclusion and empowering women through sports and culture” endorsed by all-female ambassadors in Tokyo.

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Christopher Vilburn | Head, Asia Stewardship Team, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Chris is head of Asia Stewardship for Goldman Sachs Asset Management, leading the environmental, social and governance engagement efforts in Japan.  Previously, he was the lead GS SUSTAIN Japan analyst, co-head of Asia Tactical Research and a member of the Asia Investment Review Committee. Chris joined Goldman Sachs as an associate in 2007 and was named managing director in 2017.  Prior to joining the firm, he worked at Shinsei Bank with the chief investment officer team, and at InsurQuote as a programmer.  Chris earned a BA in Japanese from Brigham Young University, with a minor in Physics. He earned a joint MBA/MA, with honors, from the Wharton School and Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in Operations and Information Management Decision Sciences and East Asia Studies. Chris is also a CFA charterholder.

Moderator, Tracy Gopal | Member of the Board, Japan Society of Northern California & Founder, Third Arrow Strategies

Tracy Gopal, member of the Board of the Japan Society of Northern California, is the founder of Third Arrow Strategies LLC, a corporate governance training and advisory boutique focused on improving corporate governance, stewardship and workforce diversity in Japan. She is a frequent speaker in both the US and Japan on these topics and presents in both English and Japanese. Ms. Gopal is currently launching the Third Arrow Strategies Japan Board Diversity Network to accelerate recognition of the importance of board diversity in Japan and raise the percentage of women on boards in Japan to a global standard. The network will be global and bring together current board directors and board director candidates for Japan. Prior to her current role, Ms. Gopal spent 15 years in transaction advisory and proxy advisory services, predominantly with Ernst & Young and Institutional Shareholder Services. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Honors Economics Program at the University of Michigan and earned her MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.