American Chamber of Commerce Japan

American Chamber of Commerce Japan
Abbreviation ACCJ
Formation August 12, 1948 (1948-08-12)
Type Advocacy group
Legal status Non-Profit
Purpose Advocacy
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Location
President
 Christopher J. LaFleur
Main organ
 Board of Governors
Website www.accj.or.jp

The American Chamber of Commerce Japan (ACCJ) is a non-profit business organization consisting mainly of executives from American companies. Currently, the ACCJ has members that represent over 1,000 companies with offices located in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. Working closely with the governments of the United States and Japan, business organizations and others, the ACCJ actively promotes activities that help achieve its mission of further developing commerce between the United States and Japan.[1]

History

The ACCJ was established in 1948 by representatives of 40 American companies. Originally, the ACCJ had six committees and nine board members.[2]

The ACCJ claims to be Japan’s most influential foreign business organization, and serves as the primary forum for the foreign business community in Japan to identify and pursue shared interests and goals. There are more than sixty Chamber committees, subcommittees, task forces, and advisory councils that cover such diverse areas as: financial services, corporate social responsibility, marketing, independent business, healthcare services, e-business, transportation and logistics, legal services, the travel industry, and human resource management.[3]

Programs

The ACCJ committees combined hold over 500 programs annually, and these events are exclusively attended by ACCJ members and their accompanied guests. The backbone of the annual agenda is hundreds of engagements with leading experts and shapers of policy and business trends in Japan.[4] Speakers are drawn from the ranks of global business leaders, top U.S. and Japanese government officials, industry experts, scholars and pop culture icons. Former speakers Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe; JP Morgan Japan Director of Research, Jesper Koll; Rakuten Inc CEO, Hiroshi Mikitani; General Electric CEO, Jeffrey R. Immelt; U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO, Tom J. Donohue; former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger; U.S. Department of Energy Secretary, Steven Chu; Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood; Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano; U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, and many others have chosen the ACCJ as their forum for addressing Japan’s international business community.[5][6]

Advocacy

As a key stakeholder in the commercial relationship between the United States and Japan, the ACCJ works to influence the discussions that frame policy in both countries. The ACCJ issues its official positions on policy issues in Viewpoint position papers, white papers, public comments and other reports. The ultimate goal of these policy positions and the advocacy carried out to communicate them and promote their implementation is to further the mission of the ACCJ to improve the business environment in Japan for Chamber members.[7]

ACCJ Board of Governors (as of 2017)

Leadership positions within the ACCJ are held by elected officials who represent top-level Japanese businesspeople and expats in Japan from the U.S. and around the globe.[8]

Leadership Position Member Name Company Title
President Christopher J. LaFleur Senior Director, McLarty Associates
Chairman Jay Ponazecki
Vice President—Tokyo Andrew J. Conrad Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Aflac Japan
Vice President—Tokyo Amy Jackson Japan Representative, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Vice President—Tokyo Peter M. Jennings President, Japan & Korea/Associate General Counsel, Dow Chemical Japan Ltd.
Vice President—Tokyo Marie G. Kissel Vice President – Japan, China, and Asia Pacific, Global Government Affairs, Abbott
Vice President—Tokyo Jonathan Kushner Managing Partner and Representative Director, Kreab
Vice President—Kansai Dr. Stephen A. Zurcher Dean, Asian Studies Program, Kansai Gaidai University
Vice President—Chubu Ray Proper IT Manager, H&R Group K.K.
Treasurer—Tokyo Nancy Ngou Ernst & Young Advisory Co., Ltd.
Governor—Tokyo Eriko Asai Executive Managing Director, Government Affairs and Policy, GE Japan
Governor—Tokyo Alison Sayre Birch Managing Director, JPMorgan Securities Japan Co., Ltd.
Governor—Tokyo Tim Brett Representative Director and President, Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd.
Governor—Tokyo Brett C. Gerry Boeing Japan President, Boeing Japan K.K.
Governor—Tokyo Rebecca K. Green Senior Consultant, ERM Japan Ltd.
Governor—Tokyo A. Barry Hirschfeld Jr. President & Chief Executive Officer, AIP Healthcare Japan GK
Governor—Tokyo Tad Johnson General Manager & Representative Director, Pratt & Whitney Aftermarket Japan KK
Governor—Tokyo Junichi Maruyama Executive Officer, Head of Government Affairs, Citigroup Japan Holdings Corp.
Governor—Tokyo Arthur M. Mitchell Senior Counselor, White & Case
Governor—Tokyo Sachin N. Shah, Director Director, Representative Statutory Executive Officer, Chairman, President and CEO, MetLife Insurance K.K.
Governor—Tokyo Ryann Thomas Partner, PwC Tax Japan
Governor—Tokyo Megumi Tsukamoto Director, Government & Corporate Affairs, Japan, Caterpillar Japan Ltd.
Governor—Kansai Patrik Jonsson President, Eli Lilly Japan K.K.
Governor—Chubu Michel Weenick Senior Director, Capital Projects Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide
President Emeritus Debbie Howard Chairman, CarterJMRN K.K.
President Emeritus Charles D. Lake II Chairman and Representative in Japan, Aflac Japan
President Emeritus Allan D. Smith Representative in Japan & CEO, RGA Reinsurance Company, Japan Branch
President Emeritus Thomas W. Whitson Chairman, Japan Market Expansion Competition
President Emeritus Michael J. Alfant Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Fusion Systems Group
President Emeritus Jay Ponazecki
Executive Director Laura Younger

References

  1. ↑ "ACCJ: About the ACCJ". ACCJ.
  2. ↑ "ACCJ: History". Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "ACCJ: Committees". Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "APCAC". Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "ACCJ:Events". ACCJ. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "Secretary Locke". Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "ACCJ:Advocacy". Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "ACCJ Leadership". Retrieved 2 Oct 2012.
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