Microsoft Japan CEO on Digital Life: Lessons Learned

Corporate Luncheon
Thursday, September 28
12 – 2 pm

Read the Event Summary.

Speaker
Darren Huston, President & CEO, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan and Corporate Vice President

Presider
Jun Makihara, Chairman, Neoteny Co., Ltd.; Director, Japan Society, Inc.

Japan is one of the greatest IT nations on this planet, with an annual IT spending exceeding $100 billion. Now 20 years after Microsoft entered Japan, Darren Huston has led the firm to re-committing itself to Japan.  After becoming President and CEO of Microsoft Japan last July, Mr. Huston launched Plan-J to invest more in Japan, to partner more deeply with the Japanese government, academia and industry, and to bring innovation to realize the digital work-style and life-style in Japan.  While Mr. Huston has driven Microsoft Japan to its fastest growth this decade, endemic challenges continue, including the costs of decade-old investments in “legacy” systems with local standards and proprietary software, a fragmented IT governance that lacks of supply of new people to drive the adoption of global standards, and the digital divide that, despite the advanced nature of Japanese IT, exists in a number of critical industry segments.  Mr. Huston will discuss plans to turn these challenges into opportunities, fuelled by the new storm of innovation Microsoft and its partners will be bringing to the market.

Agenda
12 -12:30 pm Registration & reception
12:30 – 1 Luncheon
1 – 2  Lecture

Admission: Corporate members are entitled to a designated number of free admissions to this event, based on their company’s current membership level. These reservations must be made at least 48 hours prior to the event.  Additional corporate registrants and Japan Society individual members at the Patron level and above pay the discounted corporate member rate of $45 for lunch and lecture, $10 for lecture only. Nonmember admission: $65 for lunch and lecture, $15 lecture only.  The academic and government admission rate is $30 for the luncheon and $10 for lecture only. When payment is required, prepayment must be made, or registration secured, with a credit card. All registrations and cancellations must be made at least 48 hours prior to the event. Substitutions are welcome.