Our Team 

Takeshi brings over two decades of experience in leading business expansion, corporate restructuring, and post-merger integration across the U.S. and Japan.

He has rebuilt and scaled multiple U.S.-based, Japanese-owned companies as CEO and COO—ranging from biotech and clinical development firms to food service businesses. His expertise lies in aligning global strategy with local execution.

Earlier in his career, Takeshi served as a career civil servant in Japan’s central government and as First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C., where he focused on U.S.–Japan economic diplomacy.

🎓 Waseda University (B.A. in Law) | Washington University in St. Louis (MBA)

 📍 Deep experience in regulatory reform, regional revitalization, and cross-cultural management

With over 20 years of experience across the U.S. and Japan, Norah specializes in cross-border finance, governance, and operational transformation.

She began her career at Goldman Sachs Realty Japan, conducting financial and operational due diligence on hotels, golf courses, and SMEs. Later, she led back-office structuring and ERP implementation at a U.S.-based nonprofit startup.

Most recently, she served as Auditor-in-Charge at the United Nations, where she directed global audit teams and assessed governance and risk management processes.

🎓 Harvard MPA | Bridgeport B.A. in Accounting

📍 Fluent in U.S. GAAP, Japan GAAP, and cross-sectoral compliance

Toru is the co-founder and CEO of HGMI Health Inc., a U.S.-based global Contract Research Organization (CRO) established in 2018 alongside Takeshi Yamakawa.

Toru began his career at Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese food company, where he spent three years conducting research on umami. He later transitioned into pharmaceutical development, where he oversaw clinical programs for anti-cancer and anti-HIV medications.

Since moving to the United States in 1997, Toru has led development initiatives for anti-HIV drugs and later joined PRA International in 2001, shifting from the sponsor side to a CRO role. With over 30 years of experience in drug development across both Japan and the U.S., and from both sponsor and CRO perspectives, he established HGMI Health to deliver global-standard clinical trial services.

🎓 Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo

 🎓 B.S., Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo

 📍 Born in Gunma, Japan | Certified Professional Translator