BBA 2025: Judges Unveiled

It is with great pleasure that we unveil this year's judges of the British Business Awards. This year's formal judging season began on the 9th October, and will continue until the 31st October. The British Business Awards (BBA) celebrate excellence, innovation, and integrity within the UK-Japan business community. All nominations are evaluated against defined criteria aligned with the core values of the BBA: success, innovation, and ethics.

Judging Framework

Each year, the judging process follows a rigorous and transparent framework to ensure fairness and independence.

Decisions on the BBA 2025 winners are based on the combined results of six independent judges, each assessing entries in two or three categories using the same standard scoring system. All judges score individually and without influence from others.

This year, the British Business Awards celebrates seven prestigious awards.

1. Company of the Year
2. UK-Japan Partnership
3. Entrepreneur of the Year
4. New Market Entrant of the Year
5. Responsible Business
6. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
7. Digital & Tech Innovation

Now, let us unveil this year's judges...

Sir Paul Smith was born in Nottingham, England on 5th July 1946. An avid cyclist in his youth, a road accident at 17 shifted his focus towards a creative circle that sparked his lifelong passion for design, music, and fashion. Meeting his wife Pauline at 21, her influence and training at the Royal College of Art helped shape Paul’s understanding of tailoring and garment design. From a single shop in Nottingham, Paul Smith has grown into a global brand, with a presence in over 70 countries and 3,000 shops, while remaining independently owned by Paul himself. Renowned for combining tradition with modernity, the brand specialises in men’s and women’s tailoring, clothing, and accessories, blending craftsmanship with contemporary design.

Paul’s notable achievements include presenting Paul Smith Men’s biannually on the Paris catwalk, curating a major Picasso retrospective in Paris in 2023, and designing high-profile collaborations such as limited-edition trainers with Manchester United and MINI one-off cars. He has also designed furniture, lighting, and cycling apparel, and a Paul Smith suite opened at Browns Hotel, London in 2023. Knighted in 2000 and appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2020 for services to fashion, Paul’s influence is celebrated in publications including a 50th anniversary book by Phaidon with a foreword by Sir Jonathan Ive.

Sharon Hodgson MP

UK Trade Envoy to Japan

Sharon was first elected as an MP in 2005 and has held a wide range of parliamentary roles, including membership of key committees, Parliamentary Private Secretary to three government Ministers, Government and Opposition Whip, and several Shadow Ministerial positions covering Children and Families, Women and Equalities, Public Health, and Veterans. In May 2021, she was appointed PPS to the Leader of the Labour Party, now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and in March 2023 was nominated by him as Chairman of the House of Commons Finance Committee, overseeing expenditure on House services and the preparation and scrutiny of Commons budgets. She has also served on the House of Commons Commission, responsible for administration and services.

Currently, Sharon serves as UK Trade Envoy to Japan, leads the OSCE UK delegation, is Vice-Chair of the CPA UK Executive Committee, and sits on the BGIPU Executive Committee. She is the founder and Chair of the School Food and Ticket Abuse All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs), reflecting her ongoing commitment to policy development and cross-party initiatives.

Jeremy Sampson

CEO, North East Asia & Greater China, Robert Walters

Born in Boonah, Australia in 1981, Jeremy Sampson joined Robert Walters Japan in 2006. Over the years, he has held several key leadership roles, including managing the newly formed Sales & Marketing Industrial division in 2009, and later becoming Director of the Commerce & Industry Division in 2013. Under his leadership, the division expanded rapidly, significantly driving the company’s business. 

After serving as Managing Director of Japan and Korea for 4.5 years from 2018, Jeremy became CEO of North East Asia in 2023, and was appointed CEO of North East Asia & Greater China in 2024.Since joining Robert Walters, Jeremy has placed strong emphasis on building a culture grounded in trust, accountability, and genuine care for people. His commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace has seen Robert Walters Japan recognised multiple times in the Great Place to Work® rankings.

Under his leadership, the company has continued to play a pivotal role in shaping Japan’s evolving global talent landscape and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Robert Walters Japan also continues to strengthen UK-Japan business relations, most recently as a supporting partner of the UK at Expo 2025 Osaka.
 

Kaori Nakano

CEO, Kaori Nakano K.K

Kaori Nakano is a cultural historian and preeminent specialist in fashion and luxury, operating at the intersection of humanistic inquiry and journalistic practice. A graduate of the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo, she completed doctoral coursework at its Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (MA) and later deepened her engagement with British culture as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge. Her academic career encompasses roles as a part-time lecturer at the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo; Specially Appointed Professor at Meiji University’s School of Global Japanese Studies; and Visiting Professor at Showa Women’s University and Aoyama Gakuin University.

Nakano’s research and writing illuminate the confluence of fashion history, British culture, dandyism, luxury, and Japanese traditional craftsmanship, exploring how these narratives shape cultural futures. She is the author of seminal works including Royal Style: A Fashion History of the British Royal Family, The Genealogy of Dandyism, and A Complete History of Apparel Through the Lens of Innovators, and has overseen translations and exhibitions such as Mary Quant: The Queen of Mini Skirts Who Changed the Era. Her insights appear across leading publications, from Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun to Forbes Japan and GQ Japan, and she has been featured on NHK, BS Fuji, and YouTube. A sought-after speaker for institutions including LVMH Japan, Bulgari Japan, and the Japan Hotel Association, Nakano also advises initiatives such as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Fashion Futures Study Group and the Ministry of Education’s Kyoto Creative Assemblage. Through her scholarship, authorship, and advisory roles, she forges a distinctive link between Japanese craftsmanship and global luxury, with a particular focus on British style, heritage, and innovation.

Hiroshi Tajima

Former Deputy Chief Negotiator for the TPP

Hiroshi Tajima is a seasoned Japanese diplomat who most recently served as Ambassador and Deputy Chief Negotiator for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) at the Cabinet Secretariat, a role he held until 2025. His distinguished career also includes serving as Consul-General in Chicago for two years, as well as Deputy Director-General of both the Economic Affairs Bureau and the Foreign Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Throughout his career, Ambassador Tajima has been a leading figure in Japan’s economic diplomacy, holding the title of Ambassador in charge of Economic Diplomacy and serving as Japan’s Senior Official for APEC. His work has consistently combined strategic policy-making with international engagement, reflecting a deep commitment to advancing Japan’s global economic partnerships.

Christina Yoko Makiguchi

Japan CEO, Revolut

Christina Yoko Makiguchi joined Revolut in January 2020, where she oversees the company’s operations in Japan. In recognition of her leadership and strategic impact, she was named one of Revolut’s 17 global partners in June 2021.

Prior to Revolut, Christina served as Managing Director at Mizuho Securities, leading the electronic trading division across Asia. Her career also includes senior roles within the electronic trading teams of Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, and UBS Securities, reflecting her extensive expertise in global financial markets.

We wish all nominees the best of luck and look forward to welcoming you on the 7th November.