Hiro Nishiguchi

Background

About Hiro Nishiguchi

About Innovation is not only about creativity. It is about governance, capital, and execution. That is where I work. I serve as a trusted advisor to CEOs and executive teams of large-scale global organizations, helping them navigate complexity and uncertainty by designing and implementing innovation management systems, startup ecosystem strategies, and pre-disaster investment models. I am often asked to step in when innovation can no longer rely on isolated initiatives or individual champions—when organizations need structure, discipline, and credibility to move forward. What I bring Institutionalized innovation management I help organizations build repeatable, auditable, and scalable innovation management systems—not ad-hoc innovation. I have spent more than a decade directly involved, word by word, in the international drafting and negotiation of the ISO series, including ISO 56002 and ISO 56001, through ISO TC279—working across both the Japan TAG (former Chair) and the US TAG. Startup ecosystems as an operating model As Managing Director of Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Japan and President of Startup Genome Japan, I work to globalize the Japanese startup ecosystem, connecting corporations, startups, investors, and policymakers with leading ecosystems worldwide—focusing on execution, not theory. Innovation for pre-disaster investment and risk reduction As President of the Japan Bosai (Disaster Risk Reduction) Platform, I drive private-sector innovation to reduce disaster losses before they occur, in line with the UN Sendai Framework. Experience in high-stakes environments My career includes: Executive Managing Director at Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), Japan’s largest public–private investment fund (~$20B capacity) Worldwide Partner at Mercer, where I built a global M&A integration business from zero to industry leadership. Professional Staff at the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) VP & Chief Innovation Officer at Advent Group, Inc.(US) Co-founder & CEO of Japan Innovation Network. Professor and educator As a Professor at Sophia University, I educate and mentor corporations and future leaders on innovation management, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, bridging global standards, academic rigor, and real-world practice. Education & Credentials MBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University BA, Sophia University Certified Innovation Management Professional (RISE, Sweden)