People

SRI's innovative thinking depends directly on the individuals who work here. Meet members of our team and learn why they joined SRI - you may discover that you would like to join the team, too. Visit Careers @ SRI for descriptions of current openings.

Focus @ SRI:
Business development in Japanese markets

Title:
Executive Director, SRI Tokyo

Day in the Life @ SRI:
Exposing SRI capabilities to Japanese industries and government agencies by visiting, calling and communicating with potential customers; understanding what clients or markets need; qualifying leads for commercial research and development (CRAD), licensing, partnerships and new business creation; and liaising with customers and staff members throughout SRI

Before SRI:
Three years at Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute (ATR) in Kyoto as a board member and a vice president responsible for directing strategy and fund raising. Twenty-two years at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) as an executive manager and with other activities in R&D for communication technology and semiconductor design, including computer-aided design (CAD).

Academics:
Ph. D. in applied physics from Tokyo University

Why SRI?
I joined SRI Consulting (Japan) as a principal consultant in strategic innovation and technology development. I transferred to SRI International to broaden my client services by directing contract R&D, licensing, and partnership and new business creation. I believe that the variety of SRI capabilities is the key for interdisciplinary or crossdisciplinary solutions and that this makes SRI the most exciting place in the world.

Inspiration and Motivation:
By hearing a customer's desire and need, I can see the topmost problems that the customer is facing. If SRI can solve those problems, the customer's challenges will be met, and the intellectual and business frontier will be advanced.

Away from the Office:
Spending time with my family. Traveling to various places. Assisting with the professional music activities of my wife, a harpsichord player, my son, a cellist, and my daughter, a harpist.

Languages:
Japanese, English and mass Latin

Proudest Professional Accomplishment:
When I became the leader of a semiconductor (LSI) design and development group in the mid 1980s, LSI design was still almost manual, with computer assistance for only data handling and simulation. I was a participating manager, and I developed and introduced computer optimization in LSI physical and logical design. As a result, the group finished the design of the largest microprocessor chips within the shortest design turnaround time. These chips were used in the electronic switching system and the small mainframe computer of NTT.

Words of Wisdom for New SRI Team Members:
I like the words of George Bernard Shaw: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

Favorites:
Roman history and premodern culture, art and music