Jose Ramos-Horta
1996 Nobel Peace Laureate | President of Timor-Leste | Statesman, Diplomat & Global Voice for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights
Takeshi Niinami
Former Chairman & CEO, Suntory Holdings | Former CEO, Lawson | Visiting Scholar, Stanford APARC | Chair, Trilateral Commission Asia Pacific Group
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Takeshi Niinami has led two of Japan's best-known companies through transformation. As president and CEO of Lawson for more than a decade and later chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings, he helped turn a Japanese drinks maker into a global spirits and beverage group. A Harvard MBA and Stanford visiting scholar, he shares lessons on global expansion, entrepreneurial leadership, and Japan's economic future.
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Takeshi Niinami biography
CEO keynote speaker Takeshi Niinami is one of Japan’s most internationally recognized business leaders, a chief executive known for bringing an entrepreneurial, global mindset to some of the country’s largest consumer companies. As the former chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings, he led the company’s global expansion and strategic transformation, helping turn a celebrated Japanese whisky and beverage maker into a worldwide spirits and drinks group with brands including Jim Beam.
Born in Yokohama, Niinami studied economics at Keio University and began his career at Mitsubishi Corporation in 1981. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1991 and in 1995 founded and led Sodex Corporation, a hospital catering joint venture between Mitsubishi and France’s Sodexo. In 2002 he was appointed president and CEO of Lawson, one of Japan’s largest convenience store chains, which he led for more than a decade before joining Suntory as president and CEO in October 2014. He stepped down from Suntory in 2025.
Global Executive and Policy Voice
Niinami has long bridged business and public policy. He has served on Japan’s Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy as a senior economic advisor to the prime minister, on the Industrial Competitiveness Council of Japan, and on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Japan, and has held senior roles in the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai). He chairs the Asia Pacific Group of the Trilateral Commission and sits on the Management Advisory and Evaluation Committee of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. In fall 2026 he is a visiting scholar at Stanford’s Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center as a Japan Program Fellow. He has received the Outstanding Manager Award at Keidanren’s Corporate Communication Awards.
As a speaker, Takeshi Niinami offers a rare view from the top of Japanese and global business. He shares how to build a world-class company from Japan, lead large organizations with an owner’s mindset, and navigate the economic and geopolitical shifts reshaping the Asia-Pacific region. Senior audiences leave with candid, practical insight into global growth and leadership in a changing world.
Takeshi Niinami Speaking Videos
Takeshi Niinami at TEDxSendai (English)
LIVE: Reuters NEXT Newsmaker featuring Suntory President and CEO Tak Niinami | REUTERS
Takeshi Niinami Speaking Topics
Niinami led Suntory’s transformation from a celebrated domestic brand into an international spirits and beverage group. He shares how to integrate acquisitions, blend Japanese craftsmanship with global management, and build a culture that can compete in markets around the world.
From founding a joint venture at Mitsubishi to leading Lawson and Suntory, Niinami has brought a founder’s urgency to large organizations. He explains how leaders can encourage risk-taking, speed up decision-making, and keep established companies innovating and growing.
Drawing on his work as an economic advisor to Japan’s prime minister and his years as a leading voice in Japan’s business community, Niinami explores the reforms, demographic pressures, and growth opportunities shaping the Japanese economy, and what they mean for global companies and investors.
As chair of the Trilateral Commission’s Asia Pacific Group and a Stanford visiting scholar, Niinami examines how shifting trade, security, and technology dynamics are reshaping the region. He offers leaders a practical lens for managing risk and finding opportunity in the Asia-Pacific.
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FAQs on Booking Takeshi Niinami
Booking Takeshi Niinami gives your audience access to one of Japan’s most global-minded chief executives. As former chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings and former president and CEO of Lawson, he has led transformation and international growth at the highest level, and he has advised Japan’s prime minister on economic policy. A Harvard MBA, Stanford visiting scholar, and chair of the Trilateral Commission’s Asia Pacific Group, he connects corporate strategy with the economic and geopolitical forces shaping Asia. He is an ideal choice for CEO forums, investor conferences, and events focused on Japan and the Asia-Pacific. To book Takeshi Niinami, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau and one of our founders will respond within 24 hours.
Niinami was president and CEO of Lawson from 2002 and later president and CEO of Suntory Holdings from October 2014 until 2025. Earlier in his career at Mitsubishi Corporation, he founded and led Sodex Corporation, a hospital catering joint venture with France’s Sodexo.
In fall 2026, Niinami is a visiting scholar and Japan Program Fellow at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), part of Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Niinami speaks on building global companies from Japan, entrepreneurial leadership in large organizations, Japan’s economy and reforms, and business and geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific. Each session is tailored to the audience. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to customize a session for your event.
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Takeshi Niinami as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Takeshi Niinami's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Takeshi Niinami or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
Takeshi Niinami speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Takeshi Niinami to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Takeshi Niinami.
We only work with Takeshi Niinami on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Takeshi Niinami and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Takeshi Niinami speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Takeshi Niinami for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Yes, Takeshi Niinami is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Takeshi Niinami for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
