BBA 2020 Judges Revealed!

Koji Tsuruoka | Former Japanese Ambassador to the UK

Mr Koji Tsuruoka started his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1976 after graduating from the University of Tokyo (Faculty of Law). He has held various posts, including Director of the Foreign Policy Bureau and Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. In 2013 he took the post of Principal Negotiator of the Japanese Government’s TTP Headquarters in the Cabinet Secretariat Office. He represented the Japanese Government in concluding various treaties, such as General Agreement on Trade in Services which is included in the WTO Agreement. He served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom from April 2016 to November 2019.

Anna Dingley | Founder Japan Connect Ltd.  Non-Executive Director, Nihon M&A Centre Inc. Japan

Anna’s career with Japan spans 25 years and includes work in global financial services, government, technology and the start-up world. Her roles at the London and Tokyo Stock Exchanges, JPMorgan, the Department for International Trade and as Pavilion Manager at the Aichi Expo in 2005 have given her a broad overview of global businesses and particularly the Japan-UK relationship that is close to her heart. She joined the Board of Nihon M&A Center in June 2020.
Anna has a degree in Japanese & business and has lived in Kagoshima, Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo.
Out of the office she’s always keen for tips on photography, baking, travel and adventures including triathlons & marathons (poor knees!). She sailed across the Atlantic, cycled the length of Britain and traveled back from Japan on the Trans-Siberian express.

Robin Takashi Lewis | Co-founder, mymizu / Representative Director, Social Innovation Japan

Robin is the Co-founder of mymizu – an award-winning initiative to reduce consumption of single-use plastics. He is also Co-founder & Representative Director of Social Innovation Japan – a platform for social good focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals – and is a Consultant at the World Bank (Climate Change Group). He has 10 years’ experience working with inter-governmental organisations, social enterprises and NGOs, and has managed humanitarian operations in countries such as Haiti, Nepal, Vanuatu and Mozambique. In 2017, he took on a sponsored expedition, walking 600+km along Japan’s disaster-affected coastline to document the recovery from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis. Robin is a Board Member of the Shibuya QWS Innovation Council, a TEDx Speaker, and graduated with an M.A. in International Business from the University of Edinburgh, UK.

Sue Kinoshita | Minister Counsellor for Economic Diplomacy, The British Embassy Tokyo

Sue Kinoshita became Minister Counsellor for Economic Diplomacy at the British Embassy Tokyo in September 2018. Previously, Sue was Consul-General and Corporate Services Director at the British Government offices in Geneva from 2007, Director of Trade and Investment at the British Embassy Tokyo from 2010, and then Deputy Head of Mission and Director of Trade and Investment at the British Embassy in Seoul from August 2015. Since joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1983, Sue has worked on Trade Policy, Press and Public Affairs, EU accession issues, and taken on HR and Finance roles. Sue graduated from University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

Susumu Kaminaga | Former President of Sumitomo Precision Products Co. Ltd.

Susumu Kaminaga is Former President of Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd. (SPP) and currently outside directors of the listed companies. He lived in Germany for six years in 1980s and in Wales, UK for four and a half years in 1990s. He has played a major role to establish long term relationship with Rolls-Royce and other British companies in the aerospace industries. In addition to the aerospace business, he was instrumental in developing and commercialising state-of-the-art technology at the SME in Newport, Wales acquired by SPP in 1995. The unique technology has been contributing to various application such as smart phones, automotive and IoT (Internet of Things). He is Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS) and was a member of Executive Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) for many years.  He is also Chairman of Clwb Hiraeth, a society of returning executives of Japanese Companies which have invested in Wales since 1970s.

Carolyn Burnett & Kaori Hida | Japan House London

Carolyn Burnett, Executive Director
Carolyn Burnett spent her early career with IBM in their consultancy business leading a number of client projects, before going on to establish Manchester Art Show, the largest contemporary art fair in the north of England. Most recently, she headed up live content for global events company UBM, leading on an annual series of international events and managing partnerships with key industry associations across the globe. Fascinated by both Japan’s deep history and culture, and the immense creativity of the Japanese people, Carolyn is looking to drive a legacy of engagement between the UK and Japan through Japan House London.

Kaori Hida, Stakeholder Engagement Manager
Kaori Hida began her professional career at Japan’s leading PR agency, PRAP Japan, where she gained valuable experience and developed lasting relationships within the sector. Prior to Japan House London, she worked as an in-house Public Relations officer on a wide range of domestic and international PR activities mainly in cultural and inbound tourism sectors, including projects with the largest Japanese cultural event in New York City, JNTO and Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. With her degree in communications and more than 10 years’ experience in public relations, she has pursued her passion and desire to be a link between people in Japan and other counties through cross-cultural encounter to build lasting relationships.