Team

Chisa has over 20 years of experience in research and problem solving related to global agriculture, policy and market development.

Before launching Meros, she was a senior consultant at Promar Consulting, where she directed the government research and trade policy program. Some of her notable experience includes extensive research on the TPP impact on Japanese agriculture and global commodity and grain industry analysis, as well as working with a major manufacturer to enter agricultural machinery markets in India and China, and analyzing future trends for Brazilian soybean and maize exports.

Chisa is fascinated with the complex relationship between data, people, environment, natural resources, history and land use and how these relationships impact government policies and culture. Her inquisitive personality makes her a real food and agribusiness detective: she has a knack for finding obscure data, deciphering intricate business links and finding solutions for every value chain issue, whether commodity, cash crop or livestock related.

Chisa has a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Tokyo ’s Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences. A native Japanese speaker and fluent in English and Mandarin.

Ayako comes from an international development background and she previously worked as a country officer at Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Before Meros she was senior consultant at Promar Consulting, where her key roles included working with the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture on food value chains and investment opportunities for Japanese companies in East Africa, extensive work with Norway on Asian seafood market development and consulting for JICA on agricultural trends in 50 countries.

Precision is key in Ayako’s philosophy and naturally triggered her interest in precision agriculture technologies and their impact on global farming.

Ayako has a master’s degree in Social Anthropology from London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and is bilingual in Japanese and English.

Lucia has nearly two decades of experience in Asian markets, with work based in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.

She combines a background in media and publishing with experience in trade and development economics.

She has worked extensively with the private sector, including investigating M&A opportunities in European, US and Asian markets for several global beverage companies; working with the Nepalese ginger industry to develop its first export strategy; and assessing investment potential in global biomass and ag tech markets. She previously worked for Promar Consulting as a senior consultant, overseeing numerous projects for US cooperators, embassies and trade associations.

Lucia is an explorer by heart. Visiting the constantly changing cities in Asia is one of her passions which she combines with assisting global corporations expand their food and agribusiness in the region. She gets equally inspired when helping farmers and businesses from developing countries break into the global market or when she discovers a new spicy cuisine around the world.

Lucia holds a master’s degree in international affairs and development economics from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) where she focused on rural microfinance. She is fluent in Japanese and Mandarin.

Tina has a PhD in food anthropology from Kyoto University and has deep experience in global markets and research.

She has previously worked as a researcher at AC Nielsen and as Program Coordinator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). During her 8 years as a senior consultant for Promar Consulting she oversaw market expansion and value chain analysis for seafood, dairy, biotechnology and agricultural input, among other industries. She also focused on commercial due diligence and acquisition support, especially for Japanese corporations active in Europe.

As an anthropologist, Tina is always curious about food cultures and food innovations. Her passion spreads from researching each step of the long way that a fish travels from the ocean to consumers’ plate to investigating why certain groups of people in the world will buy exactly this fish and what will be the ways they will cook it. She is always ready to tackle any new challenge along the complex value chain, from farm to table.

At Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Tina did an extensive research on Japan’s wagyu beef and olive industries. She is a native Bulgarian speaker and fluent in English, Japanese and Russian.

Daijiro has a background in international business development in Japan, Southeast Asian and European markets.

Before Meros he worked for development consulting company Padeco on international development projects for JICA, particularly in the Philippines.  Previously in his career, he had been involved in global business development for agricultural non-woven fabric, including on-site demos to explore market entry potential in Indonesia, market research in Spain and was responsible for trade and export management with European customers, including optimizing route and vessel plans.

He is deeply familiar with the Japanese market and has extensive experience in new business development projects. He has come to Meros to apply this business experience to the field he is most passionate about - food and agriculture markets.

At Meros, he has been involved in our work in Colombia on rice industry development policy, investigating opportunities for new business and agri-tech start-up collaboration in key global agriculture sectors, as well as a deep dive into Japan’s market for spirits, particularly whiskey and gin. As Meros is known for our gin collection, this has been useful research for us all.

Daijiro is curious and eager to try new foods and investigate new restaurants – something that is a challenge only when he is preparing for high-level competitions in weight training and body building – an inspiration to our team!

Daijiro holds a degree in Natural Sciences from Kyoto University. He also spent a year at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico studying agriculture. A native Japanese speaker, he is also fluent in English and Spanish.

Sachika has a passion for the synergies between earth sciences, nutrition, climate issues and international affairs.

This is ideal for for tackling the complexities of global agrifood challenges. Before joining as a research analyst, Sachika was a full time research assistant and intern at Meros for six months, where she conducted in-depth research and analysis of food loss within the Japanese apple industry and contributed unique insights to Meros understanding of this industry.

She has since worked further in various Japanese produce market projects, including global work on plant breeder rights for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). She has also successfully supported the registration of a Japanese product for OMRI organic certification in the US and investigated the Japanese market for imported whiskey and gin. Her current Meros adventures are taking her to Southeast Asian markets.

Sachika grew up in Japan, Singapore and Australia and can comfortably navigate global markets for insights on agrifood, fisheries, technology and consumer trends.

When she is not digging into Japanese apple trends or exploring agrifood expos in Tokyo, Sachika enjoys exploring the different neighborhoods of Tokyo through cafe hopping. A passionate sports fan, she particularly enjoys watching Nadeshiko Japan, the Japanese women’s national soccer team, and is looking forward to the Olympics. Having gone strawberry picking recently, her goal now is to explore all the other various types of fruit picking throughout Japan.

Sachika holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Monash University in Australia, majoring in physiology and minoring in earth science and immunology. She is fluent in English and Japanese.

Hiroshi comes from a background in international rural development, with experience living and working in Europe and Egypt.

Before Meros he worked for development consulting company NTC International researching agricultural development issued in various regions, including Indonesia and Tajikistan. Previously in his career, Hiroshi worked at the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA) in Cairo. His work included regenerative agriculture and carbon credit projects, evaluating biodiversity efforts in Egypt and encouraging development cooperation between Japan and Egypt, engaging with  stakeholders such as Heliopolis University and the Egyptian foundation SEKEM.

He has a deep interest in sustainability within agricultural practices and supply chains and is looking to bring this interest to our work in carbon markets, certification systems, aquaculture and other core topics of interest to our clients.

At Meros, Hiroshi is involved in food security projects on global grain production and trade with a focus on the Canadian grain industry. He is also doing research on GHG reduction strategies in Southeast Asia to support our work in Vietnam and Thailand on biochar and public-private cooperation initiatives.

Outside of work, he is a coffee bean connoisseur, with a soft spot for Kenyan semi roasted beans and also especially enjoys Belgian and Middle Eastern cuisines. He is an avid hiker, cyclist and snowboarder and enjoys travelling to explore local foods, museums and (when in Japan) hot springs.

Hiroshi holds a degree in Economics from Chuo University and an International Master of Science in Rural Development from Ghent University in Belgium. He has also spent time studying in Slovakia and Italy. A native Japanese speaker, he is also fluent in English with basic Spanish.

Takuro Kimura’s experience includes two decades at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and included posts in Washington, Tokyo and Cairo.

The IFC is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, offering investment and advisory services to support private-sector development in emerging markets. Takuro was Global Head, Manufacturing from 2011—2014 and had previously held senior positions covering agribusiness, services and energy (oil, gas and mining) across all continents.

After returning from Washington to Tokyo, Takuro was the Managing Director at Orix Corporation’s Global Business Development and Investment Group, focusing on investment in emerging economies, particularly on agriculture value chains, healthcare and related logistics.

Takuro is a graduate of Kyoto University’s law faculty, completed graduate work at the Ecole Superieure du Commerce de Paris (ESCP) and received his MBA from ISA-HEC in France. He began his career at Sanwa Bank in Tokyo and later joined the IFC-managed Africa Enterprise Fund, focusing on SME investment consulting in Sub-Saharan Africa, based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

He is currently the CEO of G-Cubed Partners, supporting sustainable investing in emerging markets and he has recently founded Japan Impact Investing Network (J-IIN) to further discussion of impact investing within commercial finance in Japan.

From his time in France and at postings around the world, he has become an enthusiastic connoisseur of wines and global cuisine. Takuro travels often, with particular interest recently in Myanmar and India.