2017 Joint Business Conference Future Leaders Program

The 2017 Tokyo Conference Future Leaders Program comprised three main parts:

Networking dinner (Saturday 7 October). To foster links among Future Leaders ahead of the formal Conference, 18 Future Leaders were joined by David Jacobs (AJBCC), Elizabeth Masamune (Future Leaders Facilitator) and students from the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan and Japanese Government’s TOBITATE! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative at a formal networking dinner hosted by the JABCC.

Roundtable discussion (Sunday 8 October). 22 Future Leaders from Japan and Australia were joined by Their Excellencies Ambassador Sumio Kusaka and Ambassador Richard Court, and business leaders Mr. Yukio Takebe (Chairman and CEO, Mitsui Australia) and Ms. Sinead Kaufman (Managing Director – Coal, Rio Tinto) for an interactive discussion on the current state of the bilateral relationship, and opportunities for new ways of collaboration in both existing and new areas of business.
As an important forum in the Future Leaders’ program to nurture the next generation of leaders for the bilateral relationship, the Roundtable was also attended by 2 scholars from the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan and 3 alumni of the Japanese Government’s equivalent TOBITATE! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative.

Plenary session (Monday 9 October). The Future Leaders Plenary Session, co-chaired by Future Leaders Ms. Kanna Mihara (Japan) and Ms. Natalie McDowell (Australia), explored some of the longer term challenges and opportunities for the relationship in a moderated discussion on the topic: ‘What’s Next? Workplace of 2030, Generation Z and Soft Power’ led by Ms. Elizabeth Masamune with thought leaders Ms. Debra Hazelton (Senior Advisor, Mizuho Financial Group), Mr. Yoshihisa Aono (Founder and CEO, Cybozu Inc,) and Mr. Atsuhiro Murakami (Founder of Tabelog and Director, Kakaku.com).