Leadership Profiles

Kazuhiro Noguchi joined KDD (now KDDI) in 2000, where he was responsible for product and service planning for au. From 2008, he worked on the planning and development of consumer IoT devices. From 2015, he led mid-term strategy and service-platform planning for enterprise IoT, and in 2019 he became General Manager of the 5G/IoT Service Planning Department, driving enterprise 5G/IoT services and DX (Digital Transformation). In 2023, he served as Deputy Division Head overseeing enterprise mobile, IoT, DX services, and open innovation. He currently oversees the connected business domain, including overseas operations, within KDDI's Business Growth Sector.

Mio Takaoka graduated from the University of Cambridge, where she studied Physics as part of the Natural Sciences Tripos. In 1999, she joined Goldman Sachs as a new graduate, and subsequently worked at U.S. investment banks including Morgan Stanley. She went on to serve as Executive Officer of Monex Group and Director of Monex Ventures, followed by Director and CFO of MedicalNote. In 2021, she became a Partner at DNX Ventures. She currently serves as an External Director of Septeni Holdings, HENNGE, and DENTSU SOKEN, and as an International Finance Advisor for Fukuoka Prefecture, among other roles.

Gen Isayama began his career at The Industrial Bank of Japan, followed by studies at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He then spent ten years in Silicon Valley as a Partner at DCM Ventures, focusing on investment and nurturing of IT ventures in Japan, the US, and China. In 2013, he founded WiL, focusing on investments in ventures in Japan and the US, creation of spin-out ventures from large corporations, and training of corporate entrepreneurs. He graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law.

After working in consulting at Mitsubishi Research Institute, Akie Iriyama earned a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Business in 2008. He then became an Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo's School of Business. In 2013, he joined Waseda University's Graduate School and Waseda Business School as an Associate Professor, and has been a Professor since 2019. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Economics from Keio University.

Ken Otsuki studied electronic and communications engineering at university before spending approximately 10 years at SoftBank, where he was involved in the specification, development, and verification of SIM cards and devices. He joined SORACOM in 2016, and relocated to the UK entity in 2021, where he has led product management for SORACOM Air, development of eSIM and cellular devices, global alliances with technology partners, carrier relations with international mobile operators, and business and technology development in next-generation wireless communications.

After leading multiple manufacturing business units with full P&L responsibility at ITW, Richard Halliday drove product strategy and sales enablement across a $1B+ global distribution business at Premier Farnell. At Digi International, he served as Vice President of Channel Sales and Alliances, transforming the company's go-to-market model into a partner-led growth engine. He joined SORACOM's Americas team in 2022, overseeing partnerships, sales, and technical services, and has since driven significant business growth across the region.

Susumu Takahashi joined NTT DOCOMO, INC. and worked in the corporate sales department, handling sales for the distribution and service industries. He was involved in proposing, implementing, and operating mobile-based systems and various M2M/IoT projects. He later supported the agency sales department and was involved in corporate sales planning and policy formulation. He joined Soracom in July 2015.

Naoto Namekawa was responsible for sales to various industries, including manufacturing, media, major system integrators, and startups at a foreign IT company. He joined IBM Japan, Ltd., in 2010, where he served as a Sales Line Manager and Director, overseeing team members and covering industries such as gas and electric, manufacturing, and system integrators. He joined Soracom in 2017.

Tomoki Nagano joined Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in 2006 and KPMG AZSA LLC in 2010, where he provided audit and IPO advisory services. He joined Soracom, Inc. in 2021 and led its IPO project. Following the March 2024 listing on the TSE Growth Market, he was responsible for finance and accounting, IR and disclosure, budgeting and performance management, and internal controls. In October 2026, he was appointed Executive Officer and VP of Finance and Accounting.

Hiroaki Yamazaki was previously engaged in capital markets and IPO advisory services at the Investment Banking Division of Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. He joined Soracom, Inc. in June 2024 and, as an Executive Officer since October 2025, has been responsible for corporate planning, partnerships, investments, M&A, and IR. In October 2026, he was appointed CFO. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Waseda University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Hironori Saitoh began his career in the IT industry with foreign companies, handling clients in the distribution, insurance, and financial sectors as a Systems Engineer. He later joined Amazon Web Services Japan, where he covered a wide range of industries as a salesperson, including web media, advertising, distribution, and service industries. He has been serving as an Executive Officer since April 1, 2022.

After developing systems for financial institutions, Akio Katayama joined AWS, where he served as a Solutions Architect, providing technical support. He has supported cloud implementations, focusing on industries that require mission-critical and robust security measures. Since joining Soracom in 2015, he has led the Japanese engineering team, overseeing the design and construction of the IoT platform and providing technical support to customers.

Kenta Yasukawa worked on research in IP network QoS in graduate school and on the convergence of telecom and the Web, as well as M2M/IoT, in research and development at Ericsson Research. He joined Amazon Data Services Japan in 2012, supporting advanced corporate cloud system designs before working with the DynamoDB team at the company's Seattle headquarters. He co-founded Soracom, Inc., and became its CTO. Currently, he also serves as CEO of Americas, directing the expansion of business in the North American market. He completed his Ph.D. in Engineering at the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology.

After engaging in the research and development of wearable computers, consulting on development platforms, and technical sales at the Japan IBM Research Laboratory, Ken Tamagawa joined Amazon Data Services Japan as an Evangelist in 2010. He spearheaded the technical launch of AWS in the Japanese market before co-founding Soracom, Inc. He holds a Master's degree in Mechanical and Information Engineering from the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, USA, and an MSE (Master of Software Engineering) from the same university.