Speakers

Toshihiko SAKAGUCHI has been Director General at the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) London, on secondment from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, since August 2015. The major missions of JETRO London are to promote foreign direct investment in Japan, to promote export from Japan and to support EU-Japan FTA/EPA negotiation. Since joining the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in 1985, Mr Sakaguchi has gained a range of expertise across both finance and trade. This includes positions at the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) as the Chief Representative of the NEXI Paris Office (2002-2005), and as the Chief Executive Director of the NEXI General Affairs Department (2011-2014), as well as a period serving as the Director for Planning Division, Planning and Coordination Bureau, Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan (2006-2008). Within METI, Mr Sakaguchi has worked as the Director of several different departments such as the Commercial and Consumer Credit Division, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau (2008-2010) and the Chemicals Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau (2010-2011). Before joining JETRO, he was Director General of METI’s Trade Control Department, Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau (2014-2015). He graduated from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law in 1985.