The Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) has unofficially appointed Akio Yamaguchi, president of IBM Japan, Ltd., as its new chairperson. He will take office on January 1, 2026, for a term until April 2030. This follows the resignation of predecessor Takeshi Niinami in late September amid a police probe into his purchase of supplements suspected of containing illegal ingredients.
The Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), a key group representing Japanese business leaders, has faced governance turmoil that eroded public trust, particularly over debates on whether its previous chairperson should resign. The new appointee, Akio Yamaguchi, is expected to prioritize restoring this confidence and advancing policies to tackle pressing economic issues in Japan.
Yamaguchi brings a wealth of experience, having joined IBM Japan in 1987 as a systems engineer. He gained global management insights during his tenure as an executive officer at IBM's U.S. headquarters and has served as president of IBM Japan since 2019. Keizai Doyukai anticipates that his expertise from a multinational corporation will help rebuild the organization.
His predecessor, Takeshi Niinami, was a outspoken figure in the business world, frequently advocating for wage hikes and other reforms. However, he stepped down at the end of September following a police investigation into his acquisition of supplements allegedly containing banned substances. The board was deeply divided, with some members pushing for his exit while others wanted him to stay, preventing a swift consensus.
Yamaguchi's immediate task is to heal these internal divisions and reinstate transparent management. The burden he inherits is substantial. Japanese companies are navigating transformative shifts, including the transition from deflation to inflation, heightened debates on fiscal and monetary policies, artificial intelligence's societal impacts like job displacement, and rising xenophobic sentiments amid a tourism boom.
As one of Japan's three major economic bodies—distinct from the corporate-heavy Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and the small-business-focused Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry—Keizai Doyukai relies on open, individual-member discussions. With the influence of such groups waning, its chairperson must deliver bold, innovative guidance on these challenges. (248 words)
