Meros Consulting is pleased to announce that Takuro Kimura, former executive at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has joined Meros as Strategic Advisor.

“We are thrilled to have Takuro join our team and be able to share his extensive experience in public and private sector agribusiness investment, particularly in the context of investment in agriculture development in emerging economies,” says Meros’ Managing Director Chisa Ogura.

Takuro’s previous career at the IFC spanned two decades 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.

Most recently, 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 with a focus on agriculture value chains, healthcare and related logistics

“We have gotten to know Takuro over the past three years, and have been impressed with his energy, insightful business perspectives and interest in developing teams and people. He brings valuable, practical insights from past investment projects, both on the factors for success and the risks to anticipate,” said Lucia Vancura, Meros’ Director of Operations and Global Markets.

“I believe food and agriculture is the cornerstone of global sustainability. Smart investments and business innovations can create significant social and economic impact, “ said Takuro Kimura. “Meros has solid sectoral experience and a strong commitment to identify business and investment opportunities for its customers. I look forward to working with Meros to support the creation of business opportunities, especially for Japanese companies, in emerging markets in Asia and beyond.”

Takuro’s experience in bringing public and private sector players together to create value for growing businesses is extensive and he is deeply familiar with the as needs and expectations of investors. Together, we will be focusing on developing strategies to strengthen global food systems and promote economic development along the agricultural supply chain in fast-growing markets, particularly in Southeast Asia, India and Africa.

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.