The DSEI Japan Executive Committee is a group of distinguished experts from across Japanese government and military sectors. They provide essential guidance on the conference content, ensuring it reflects the defence priorities and security concerns of the Indo-Pacific region. Their involvement ensures the event is finely tuned to meet the needs of both military and industry professionals.
DSEI Japan Executive Committee
Chairman
Masanori Nishi
Former Administrative Vice-Minister of Defence
Masanori Nishi has been a Special Adviser to the Minister of Defense since August of 2017 till October of 2018 after holding the role previously from 2015-2016. Mr. Nishi has held numerous roles at the Ministry of Defense such as Director General of the Bureau of Finance and Equipment, Director General of the Bureau of Defense Policy. As an Administrative Vice Minister of Defense, he examined the promotion of the defense industry and procurement system, reconsidered traditional Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, introduced F-35, coordinated the submarine export project to Australia, established the Legislation for Peace and Security, reviewed Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation, and launched Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency.
Mr. Nishi first joined Japan Defense Agency (JDA) in April of 1978 and through the years held various roles in the Secretarial Division, Bureau of Personnel, Bureau of Equipment, NAHA Defense Facility Bureau. In 2006, he was involved in the development of the SM-3 Bloc2A as Deputy Director General, the Technical Research and Development Institute.
Vice Chairman
General (Retd) Shigeru Iwasaki
Former Chief of Staff, Joint StaffRetired General, Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Graduated from National Defense Academy of Japan with aeronautical engineering major. In Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Shigeru Iwasaki had served as a fighter pilot, and he has experience of approximately 100 missions of countermeasures against violation of national airspace (scramble) against Russian and Chinese fighter aircraft.
He took command of the 2nd Air Wing, then served as commander of Air Defense Command, the 31st Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and then Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff.
Last year, as a member of “The Council on Security and Defense Capabilities” hosted by the government, Mr. Iwasaki was involved in the modification of the “New National Defense Program Outlines” and has been giving lectures nationwide.
Ambassador Makio Miyagawa
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Ambassador Miyagawa held successive positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; Chief of Legal Office, Deputy Director of US-Japan Trade Division and of Soviet Union/Russian Division, Director in Economic Affairs Bureau and Asia Oceanian Bureau, Deputy DG (Director-General) of Climate Change Negotiations, DG of Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, and DG of Middle East and North Africa.
He served in the Japanese Embassy in the UK and Malaysia, and in the Japanese Mission in Geneva. He was Ambassador in the Japanese mission in Geneva and in Malaysia. His last posting was Special Advisor on National Security, National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Bureau of Japan. He received D.Phil. in International Relations from Oxford University on ‘Economic Sanctions’, and BSc in Aeronautical and Spacecraft Engineering on “Design of Rockets for Static Satellites” from the University of Tokyo.
He lectured at the Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and at the University of Tokyo. He was Director of the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA). He was awarded the distinction of Commandeur de L’Ordre National du Mérite from the Republic of France. He has published numerous books and articles, including “Do Economic Sanctions Work” (Macmillan).
Hideo Suzuki
Former Director of Trade Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
Hideo Suzuki is Executive Advisor, Nippon Steel Corporation from June 2022. He was Managing Executive Officer of NSC from 2016 to March 2022.
He was Director-General of Trade Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Cabinet Councilor from 2013 to 2015 and Director-General of Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau from 2012.
He was Director-General of Acquisition Reform, Ministry of Defense, responsible for defense industry, selection of a next generation fighter and reform of the principles of arms exports. He directly advised to Defense Minister on Fukushima No1 Nuclear Plant Accident.
He was Director-General of Department of Multilateral Trade System, and Deputy Director-General for Industrial Finance, and had been responsible for corporate tax reform, competition policy, aircraft and defense industry since he joined METI in 1981.
He was seconded to the British Department of Trade and Industry as Senior Industrial Adviser from 1996 to 1998, and to Ibaraki Prefectural Government as Director-General of the Department of Commerce and Labor from 1999 to 2001.
He was visiting professor of economics of Saitama National University.
He graduated from the University of Kyoto, Faculty of Law in 1981, and was granted MA from Yale University, Graduate School (International Development Economics) in 1988, and LLM from the University of Washington, School of Law in 1989. He was born in Kyoto Japan.
He is an author of “Tax Reform for Revitalizing Japan” in 2007, and “China VS Japan-USA TPP Alliance” in 2016 , and co-author of “Industrial Finance in 21st Century” in 2008.
Dr. Hideaki Watanabe
Former Commissioner of ATLA, Ministry of Defense
Dr Hideaki Watanabe was the first commissioner for ATLA (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency), which was established in October 2015, to work on a wide variety of defence acquisition issues. Dr Watanabe has held directorship positions at the MOD’s (Ministry of Defence) R&D departments, such as Director General for Technology in Minister’s Secretariat (2011–), and Director General for TRDI (Technical Research and Development Institute) (2013–).
He started his career in TRDI-MOD as a researcher on radar technology and electric warfare technology. Dr Watanabe majored in Electronics Engineering and obtained a doctorate in that field at Keio University in 1987.
He retired in July 2017. He joined SBI Holdings Inc. as an advisor in August 2018 and Defence Technology Foundation (DTF) in June 2021 as an adviser. He was promoted to Chairman of DTF on August 2022.
Richard Thornley
CBE MBA PHD CENG FRAES. Vice President Japan.
Richard has more than thirty-five years of experience in the Aerospace and Defence field, twenty-three years of which has been in Japan.
He established Westland Helicopter’s office in Tokyo in 1996 and led the marketing of the EH101 helicopter. Sales of 13 aircraft were secured with the Japan Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
In 2004, Richard joined Rolls-Royce to head their Japan office. Business with ANA, JAL and Skymark was won for the first time, and the company's leading position of 1000 gas turbines with the Japanese MoD was maintained, which expanded the team from 3 to 70 employees.
In January 2014, Richard joined Bell Helicopter to establish a new entity. The customers’ voice guided the new team to a record order intake, including up to 150 UH-X helicopters to the Japanese Army with partner Subaru.
January 2018 saw the establishment of Thornley International, a Defence, Aerospace and Security Consultancy, which is now assisting companies establish and improve their business in unique Japan.
In April 2018, Richard was appointed Vice President Japan of Clarion Events Ltd. to assist in the inaugural DSEI Japan.
Richard holds degrees in Engineering and Management, is a Master of Business Administration, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and on the Board of British Chambers of Commerce. He was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for Japanese industrial relations and business, in the 2012 Queen’s birthday honours, and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Technology from Loughborough University in 2016.
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