BCCJ holds Digital General Meeting 2020

At last night’s Digital General Meeting 2020 – an online adaption of our Annual General Meeting scheduled for April 21 – the 2020-2021 BCCJ Executive Committee (Excom) gave a self-introduction to a cross-section of members and distinguished guests.

Hosted online while we continue to observe the situation around Covid,  the meeting was opened by BCCJ Associate Director, Sarah Backley, and followed by an address from HM Ambassador to Japan Paul Madden CMG. Paul reflected on the struggles faced by businesses and individuals surrounded Covid, as well as shared updates from the UK and Japan governments, including the Global Vaccine Summit hosted earlier in the day by UK PM Boris Johnson and attended by JP PM, Shinzo Abe.

President’s Annual Report

In his President’s Report, BCCJ President David Bickle presented achievements and developments from the past year. He reminded members that the chamber’s fundamental purpose is that they make great connections with people who matter, as highlighted by a host of distinguished speakers who have participated in some of the 42 BCCJ events hosted over the past fiscal year.

To achieve core BCCJ goals, he stated that the Chamber aims to promote trust and opportunities in bilateral UK/Japan business through an increasingly diverse and inclusive workplace, the proliferation of technology/digital business and innovation, and also through responsible business practices. Together, these three themes form the pillars of the BCCJ’s 5.0 project.

David also detailed the Chambers approach in responding to the challenges presented by Covid to the business community. The BCCJ moved swiftly to alter its event content to relevant themes faced by our member companies, and digitising the format of our events to online webinars and podcasts. In rolling out new technological innovations and through new collaborations, we have seen a sharp increase in our ability to reach more people.

As part of the Covid response, the BCCJ has also created ‘Member Hubs and Services’ and ‘Covid-19 and Responsible Business’ section on its website, designed to connect and highlight innovations from members. The BCCJ has also been able to forge new partnerships with Brit-Chambers across Asia, completed a comprehensive and widely-shared survey, and contributed to a position paper to the Japanese Gov detailing initiatives we believe will benefit all corporations in Japan.

Welcoming the 2020-2021 Executive Committee

BCCJ Associate Director, Sarah Backley moved the meeting onto the welcoming of the 2020-2021 Executive Committee and Ex-Officio members, all of who gave a short self-introduction.

**First-time members are bolded**

David Bickle, Deloitte Tohmatsu Tax Co. (President)
Alison Beale, University of Oxford Japan Office (Vice-President)
Haruhiko Tsuyukubo, Rolls-Royce Japan Co., Ltd.
Heather McLeish, EY Japan
Iain Ferguson Lloyd’s Japan Inc.
James Dodds, KPMG
Junko Kubokawa, Croda Japan KK
Ken Katayama, Individual Member (Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd.)
Kentaro Kiso, Barclays Securities Japan Limited
Paul Lirette, GlaxoSmithKline KK
Reiko Sakimura, Clifford Chance Law Office
Richard Lyle, Intralink KK
Richard Thornley, CBE Individual Member
Sven Palys, Yuzu Kyodai
Tove Kinooka, Global Perspectives K.K.

Of the above, David Bickle has indicated his willingness to serve for one year as President of the Chamber and Chair of the Executive Committee. David qualifies for, and is therefore proposed to serve as, President and Chair, conditional to his being elected onto Excom.

You can read each candidate’s pledge in our election booklet – here!