Hiroshi Mikitani

As Chairman of Rakuten Mobile, Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani oversees the company's overall management, including both domestic and international operations.

With a dynamic ecosystem of more than 70 services, spanning e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications, the Rakuten Group brings the joy of discovery to 1.8 billion members around the world. Rakuten also became Japan’s newest mobile network operator in 2019.

Founded in Japan in 1997 with the mission to contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship, Rakuten has grown to become one of the world's leading internet services companies. Mikitani is the founder, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group.

Born in Kobe, Mikitani was educated at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, began his career in investment banking, and earned his MBA at Harvard Business School. In 2012, he was awarded the HBS Alumni Achievement Award, one of the school’s highest honors.

He is a recipient of the Legion of Honour, awarded by the French government in recognition of contributions to the economy and culture of France. In 2011, he was appointed Chairman of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, which has the longest history and tradition of any orchestra in Japan, and serves as Representative Director of the Japan Association of New Economy (JANE).

Mikitani also serves as Vice Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Medical, a global biotechnology company developing and commercializing precision, cell-targeting investigational photoimmunotherapy on its Alluminox™ platform.

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