Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Lin Kobayashi
Co-Founder and Chair of the Board
Mamoru Taniya
Representative Founder and Director of the BoardWhile Mamoru Taniya serves as Chairman of Asuka Holdings, Inc., his life work is to develop projects and services that match the needs of the times. Some of his many successful initiatives include the launch of Lifenet Insurance Company, Japan’s first online insurance company, and the development of “studio yoggy,” a pioneering yoga studio which has contributed to the popularization of yoga in Japan. Mr. Taniya also started the Campus for H Inc., a venture health care company that develops and markets innovative corporate wellness programs including mindfulness. As both an entrepreneur and a father of two, he came up with the ISAK concept in 2005. Mr. Taniya is a 1983 graduate of Nada Senior High School and received his B.A. in law from the University of Tokyo in 1987.
Roderick Jemison
Founding Head of SchoolRod Jemison served as the Director of the Upper School at a prestigious private school near San Diego, where he successfully led in all areas of the high school’s operation including educational program reform, fundraising, finance, preparing for college and marketing. In July 2013, he moved to Japan with his wife and daughter and he has served as Founding Head of School since 2014.
Masahiro Koshiba
DirectorMasahiro Koshiba is currently CEO of United Managers Japan Inc. a company he established in 2004 that provides an incubation platform for investment funds. He started his career at Daiwa Securities; followed by Daiwa International Capital Management and Deutsche Asset Management (formerly Deutsche Morgan Grenfell), and after that co-founded an investment advisory firm in 2000. He offers investment opportunities to institutional investors and foundations both in Japan and worldwide; he has been an active fund manager since 1990, and also currently manages a Japanese equities fund. Masahiro serves as a Member of Human Rights Watch Tokyo Committee. He graduated from Doshisha University with a BA in law.
Mariko Magnan
DirectorMariko founded Japan’s first corporate concierge firm in 2016, after working for companies such as Societe Generale and Goldman Sachs. She is devoted to bringing diversity in the workplace, and to helping employees fulfill their personal and professional lives whilst improving happiness at work.
Paul McInerney
DirectorPaul McInerney is a General Partner at Incubate Fund – Japan’s leading seed stage venture fund. He was previously at McKinsey & Company for 18 years, where he was a Senior Partner and most recently led the Asia Pacific Consumer Group. He started his career at Recruit, where he spent five years building online businesses and investing in venture companies. He received his LLB from Kyoto University in 1997. Born in Australia, he has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Shusaku Minoda
DirectorShusaku Minoda joined KKR in 2007. In 2008, he became Chief Executive Officer and in 2013 was named Chairman of KKR Japan. He was engaged in private equity investments. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Minoda was Managing Executive Officer in charge of the Global Investment Banking Group of Mizuho Corporate Bank and was a member of the management committee of the Bank since 2004. He served as Chairman of the Japan Private Equity Association from June 2011 to June 2013. In December 2014, He retired as Chairman of KKR Japan. Since April 2015, he has served on the Board of Directors of Opt Holding. Currently, he also serves on the Board of Directors of Toyoko-Inn, a member of Japan Association of Corporate Executives.
Toru Shimada
DirectorToru Shimada began his career at Recruit Co., before co-founding Intelligence Co., Ltd. in 1989. After leaving Intelligence in 1999, he served as President and Owner of Rakuten Baseball Team, and Vice President of Rakuten, Inc. He also became COO of USEN-NEXT HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. in 2017 where he served until 2021. Toru serves on the Board of Directors of a number of companies and as an angel investor has supported the growth of more than 170 startups.
Charlotte Yew
DirectorCharlotte Yew started her fund management career in Japan with the Yasuda Mutual Life Insurance Company. She subsequently worked at Jardine Fleming in Hong Kong and Singapore, eventually becoming the Deputy Chief Investment Officer for JP Morgan Asset Management, Asia Pacific.
Currently, she is a director at Alpha Securities, a family investment office of the GK Goh group. Her passion for “investing” goes beyond funds but also in education and rehabilitation. Thus, her keen volunteer service at schools and prisons.
Charlotte graduated from Colgate University in New York, is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds an Advanced Japanese Language certificate.
Honorary Advisor
Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado
Councils
Chair Suguru Miyake
Benjamin Blum
Kenji Govaers
Ryusuke Honjyo
Hiroshi Ito
Tomonori Ito
Kei Iwashita
Roderick Jemison
Haruki Kamiyama
Lin Kobayashi
Yojiro Koizumi
Marcos Melero
Shusaku Minoda
Gen Miyazawa
Ryo Ohira
Elizabeth Oswald
Wataru Sado
Toru Shimada
Makiko Shinoda
Norio Takamatsu
Shotaro Tanaka
MihoTanimoto
Mamoru Taniya
Koki Uchiyama
Charlotte Yew
Advisory Board
Chair Nobuyuki Idei
(Listed in alphabetical order)
Yasuchika Hasegawa
Yasushi Hatakeyama
Hidehiko Hayashi
Hidehiro Imatsu
Kakutaro Kitashiro
Hiroko Kono
Takashi Murata
Shigeru Sato
Teruhide Sato
Kan Suzuki
Makoto Takano
Fumio Tateishi
Kotaro Yamagishi
Kimiya Yamamoto
Masakazu Yanagisawa
Yasuhiro Wakebayashi
Statutory Auditor
Yasushi Ando
Kenji Hosokawa
Naoki Tamura
Accreditation
Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT)
UWC ISAK Japan is accredited through the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT). Graduates of UWC ISAK Japan receive a Japanese high school diploma upon graduation.
International Baccalaureate Organization
UWC ISAK Japan is an Official IB World School, authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to teach the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).
Accreditation
UWC ISAK Japan is accredited through the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT). Graduates of UWC ISAK Japan receive a Japanese high school diploma upon graduation.
International Baccalaureate Organization
UWC ISAK Japan is accredited through the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT). Graduates of UWC ISAK Japan receive a Japanese high school diploma upon graduation.
Policies & Handbooks
To view our various policies & handbooks, click on the following links.
