There has been an acceleration in global strategic investment from Japan, including Japanese companies acquiring American companies. Some of these directly affect our Boston business community. With first-person insight from Mitsubishi International Corporation about its strategic thinking, and with contextual perspective on trade from former trade negotiator, Ira Shapiro, this Forum provides business-ready insight for your firm. And as the premier venue for US/Japan business exchange and networking in Boston, the Forum keeps you connected with friends and business partners. Light lunch provided.
Jason Stevens, Keynote Speaker
Jason Stevens is President and CEO of Mitsubishi International Corporation, a New York City-based subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, which is a global enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry, including natural gas, industrial materials, petroleum and chemicals, mineral resources, industrial infrastructure, automotive and mobility, foods, consumer, power and urban development. Mitsubishi International Corporation engages in the global trading of industrial products and commodities, including chemicals, aluminum, precious metals and petroleum. Prior to becoming President and CEO in 2016, Mr. Stevens was Senior Vice President of Mitsubishi International Corporation and a Vice President of its affiliate, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), while also serving as Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Secretary of both companies. In those roles, he was responsible for the legal, compliance, and logistics management functions of those companies and their affiliates in North America. Before that, Mr. Stevens was responsible for the legal and compliance management of Mitsubishi Corporation group companies in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa while based in London, and also worked for the Legal Division of Mitsubishi Corporation in Tokyo. Jason Stevens received an undergraduate degree from Princeton University and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.
Ira Shapiro, Discussant
Ambassador Ira Shapiro is the President of Ira Shapiro Global Strategies, LLC, and a senior adviser to the Albright Stonebridge Group. He has been deeply involved in U.S.-Japan relations for 30 years, having served as a principal U.S. trade negotiator with Japan during the Clinton administration and Chairman of the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) between 2012-2017. As General Counsel to United States Trade Representative Mickey Kantor in the early 1990s, Shapiro played a central role in the negotiation and approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the multi-lateral Uruguay round that created the World Trade Organization and the current trade rules. In 2015, Mr. Shapiro received the Foreign Minister’s Commendation, an award from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in recognition of his outstanding achievements in promoting friendship between Japan and the United States. Mr. Shapiro is the author of two books - The Last Great Senate: Courage and Statesmanship in Times of Crisis (2012) and Broken: Can the Senate Save Itself and the Country? (2018).
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