Takeshi Niinami

Tak Niinami is the Chief Executive Officer of Suntory Holdings, one of the world's leading consumer products companies. With operations throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, Suntory offers a diverse portfolio of products from premium spirits, beer and wine to brewed teas, bottled water, carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and energy drinks, along with health and wellness products.

In his role, Niinami is tackling some of the most pressing sustainability challenges, focusing on three areas: water, climate, circular economy for plastics, as well as other global environmental conservation efforts.

Prior to joining Suntory, Niinami was CEO of Lawson, Inc., which he grew into one of Asia’s major convenience store operators, posting profit growth for 12 consecutive years and quadrupling its market capitalization during his tenure.

Niinami spent the first 20 years of his career at Mitsubishi Corporation, where he held a number of management positions and founded Sodex Corporation (now LEOC Co.), a hospital food service joint venture between Mitsubishi and Sodexo of France, ultimately taking the company public.

Niinami has served on the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy as senior economic advisor to the Prime Minister since 2014, the longest serving business leader in Japan. He has served for former Prime Ministers Abe and Suga, and the incumbent Prime Minister Kishida. He is also Chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives.

Niinami is also Asia Pacific Chairman of the Trilateral Commission, Chair of the Asia Business Council, and a member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council, the Global Board of Advisors of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Board of Trustees of the United States-Japan Foundation and The Business Council in the US.

Niinami received his MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.