fter 10 years’ experience at Japanese OEM
2004- Joined Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Total Customer Satisfaction Div.（NML TCSX）
2006- Manager, Nissan North America TCS
（Total customer Satisfaction）
2009- Manager, NML TCSX Project Quality Director Office
2012- General Manager, Nissan Europe TCS
2015- Chief Quality Engineer,NML TCSX (AD/ADAS, CCS+INFINITI)
2016- Div. GM/Program Director
Connected Car & Autonomous Drive Div.
Advance Features & Service Platform Div.
2025- VP/Program Director
Software Defined Vehicle & Connected Car Services Div.

In my previous role, I worked in the electronics industry, focusing
on software and system architecture development. I joined Nissan
Motor Co., Ltd. in 2021 and currently work in the Software-Defined
Vehicle Development Department. More specifically, I am engaged
in the daily development of new technology, off-board services
and user experiences leveraging connected technology, with a
primary focus on mobile app development, AAOS app
development, and UI/UX design for NissanConnect services

He began his career developing engine control ECUs and has
since focused primarily on control system development. He was
stationed at a North American development center, where he led
the development of electrical and interior systems. He has been
serving in his current position since 2024.

• Joined Denso after working on UX development for home appliances, IT, and services, and on company-wide UX management, at an overseas manufacturer
• At the R&D Center, responsible for everything from customer-experience-driven product planning to UX development
• Won the Grand Prix in the UX category of the Red Dot Design Award, one of the world’s three major design awards, and has experience as a UX committee member at ACM CHI

Worked in research and development as a design engineer at Sumitomo Electric Industries
Became an editorial writer for the automotive magazine “NAVI” at Nigensha, later transferring to the “Car Graphic” editorial department.

Served as Innovation Director at Roland Berger, a Munich-based strategy consulting firm, while continuing to work as a journalist — driving innovation across a wide range of fields beyond mobility, drawing on global insight into the latest technology.

World Car of the Year / Green Car judge; International Engine of the Year selection panel member; regular member of the FCCJ (Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan).

Covers automotive ecology and technology as a core focus, with wide-ranging reporting on environmental topics — including energy issues and organic/sustainability topics from a female perspective.
Has served in numerous advisory roles, including as a member of the Cabinet Secretariat (Road Traffic Working Group / Autonomous Driving Institutional Framework Sub-Working Group), an expert committee member for MLIT (Council on New Mobility Services for Urban and Rural Areas / MaaS Council, among others), an expert committee member for the National Police Agency (Council of Experts on the Second-Class Driver’s License System, among others), a Cabinet Office committee member, an expert committee member for the Ministry of the Environment, and a member of MLIT’s Independent Administrative Institution Evaluation Committee.

Known for accessible presentations on highly technical topics and environmental issues, including at government-sponsored symposia and for institutional investors. As a journalist, contributes to domestic and international media while also serving as an advisor at a listed Japanese company and as a strategic innovation specialist for domestic and overseas startups, providing technology surveillance for institutional investors.

Recent book: “Can Japanese Cars Survive?” (Kodansha). Since 2022, has also served as a Nikkei THINK! Expert, a committee member of the Digital Agency’s study group on the future of a digital transportation society, and a committee member of the Digital Administrative Research Council’s Working Group on Technology-Based Regulatory Reform.

Since April 2023, has taught as an associate professor at the University of Electro-Mobility Systems. Since December 2023, has participated as a peer reviewer in “Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) Phase 3 / Building a Smart Mobility Platform.”

Koichi Katsumata has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, with a particular focus on connected vehicle technologies, account management, and business development.

Prior to joining Aeris, he led business development and sales for connected vehicle solutions across the ASEAN region at a global automotive parts supplier. At Aeris, he is responsible for account management and new business development for connected vehicle platforms and services, working closely with automotive OEMs in Japan and other global markets.

Koichi holds an MBA from Lingnan College, Sun Yat-sen University in China.

Yasuo Omori, Altia’s Director of Sales, is focused on the success of OEMs and Tier 1 supplier across the APAC region, particularly in Japan. Yasuo plays a key role in growing an strengthening Altia’s customer relationships across Asia, collaborating with Altia’s global team to deliver best-in-class software solutions and support for production programs.

An experienced sales executive, Yasuo brings extensive expertise in global customer engagement and business development across the automotive and technology industries including component electronics, digital mapping, and telematics solutions.
As a director at Airbiquity, he worked closely with automotive companies and their Tier 1 suppliers to implement connected-car and telematics solutions, including cloud-based OTA and IVI solutions.
At HERE Technologies, Yasuo led sales and marketing for digital map products and solutions for OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers.
He has also held key sales leadership and management positions at AVNET Japan and Tomen Corporation.

Yasuo holds a Bachelor’s degree from Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan.

• Over 15 years of experience in 3D CAD/CG, centered on the automotive industry, including CATIA technical support for automakers, support for adopting 3D visualization and XR, and technical sales.
• Joined Epic Games in 2025. As Business Development Manager for Unreal Engine, drives the use and adoption of XR, HMI, digital showrooms, and virtual production in automotive, manufacturing, and simulation. Currently responsible for Unreal Engine business across a wide range of industries beyond gaming

Joined Dolby Japan in 2018, initially managing the licensing business for consumer electronics before serving as Head of Marketing for Japan. In his current role since 2024, he is responsible for licensing businesses across consumer electronics, with a focus on TVs and audio products, as well as the automotive sector.

He has extensive experience at IBM Japan, where he supported
clients in the machinery, electrical, and electronics industries in
areas such as technology development, production management,
and process management systems. He has also led numerous
initiatives supporting Japanese companies’ global expansion from
both business and IT perspectives across Japan, Southeast Asia,
India, China, Europe, and North America.

More recently, he has focused on the automotive industry,
supporting software-defined vehicle initiatives such as
autonomous driving system design, in-vehicle E/E architecture,
and vehicle cloud architecture, as well as related standardization
efforts. Since 2021, he has been part of the U.S.-headquartered
Automotive Competency Center, serves as CTO for the
automotive industry at IBM Japan, and is the Eclipse SDV Japan
Ambassador.

• Partner at Live Consulting Inc.; joined the company in 2015
• Supports automakers, public transportation operators, and municipalities with mid-term business plan formulation, new business development, and M&A/PMI
• Currently works to realize a sustainable regional society through business development at the intersection of mobility and energy, and the rollout of regional mobility services
• Co-author of “EVX (EV Transformation): The Fusion of Mobility and Energy” (President Inc., 2022) and “Energy Innovation: New Business Approaches Born from the Fusion of Mobility and Energy” (President Inc., 2025)

In 2003, relocated to China to launch the local operations of a Japanese manufacturer, overseeing sales, marketing, partner alliances, and government relations. Following an entrepreneurial venture in Indonesia in 2014, joined the Japan operations of Alibaba Group in 2019. There, established a division dedicated to supporting Japanese enterprises in adopting Alibaba’s DX solutions across manufacturing, marketing, and supply chain operations. In 2026, transitioned the solutions business from Alibaba and currently leads “Axcelera Partners,” an organization dedicated to helping Japanese companies implement global DX and AI solutions.