Nobuyuki Idei

Biography

Nobuyuki Idei is currently founder and CEO of Quantum Leaps Corporation, an executive advisory company he established in 2006. Quantum Leaps aims to enhance Japan’s competitiveness by supporting corporate transformation and creating an open platform to nurture technology-driven venture companies. Mr. Idei is also founder and chairman of Asia Innovators’ Initiative, a private non-profit organization he established in 2011 to serve as a catalyst for social innovation in Asia by bringing together a diverse range of individuals to promote knowledge sharing. Mr. Idei was a member of top management of Sony Corporation from 1995 for more than a decade, first as president and COO and then chairman and CEO. From 2007 to 2012, he served as chairman of Sony’s advisory board. During his tenure, Mr. Idei moved the company into the digital age by creating a vision where audio, visual, computer and telecommunication technologies would be seamlessly merged and connected with software content and services, much like the Internet world we know today. He is also credited for revolutionizing corporate governance at Sony, which later influenced many other Japanese companies, and introducing new management methods, such as the holding company structure. Mr. Idei is a director of FreeBit Co., Ltd., Lenovo Group and Monex Group, Inc., Stripe International Inc., member of Tsinghua University SEM Advisory Board, the member of CEIBS International Advisory Board, and chairman of the National Conference on Fostering Beautiful Forests in Japan. Previously, he served as a director of Accenture and Baidu until 2015, and USJ Co., Ltd. until 2017, counselor to the Bank of Japan from 1999 to 2007, chairman of Japan’s IT Strategy Council from 2000 to 2005, and vice chairman of Nippon Keidanren from 2003 to 2007. He has also been a member of Deutsche Bank’s Asia Pacific Advisory Board as well as a director for such companies as Nestle, General Motors, Electrolux and others. Mr. Idei received a B.S. degree in economics and politics from Waseda University in Tokyo. Fluent in English and French, he studied at the l’Institut des Hautes Études Internationales in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr. Idei was born in Tokyo in 1937. He and his wife Teruyo have one daughter.

Research Interest

Medical Devices