Founder and CEO

Kazuhisa Shibayama

After working at the Ministry of Finance and McKinsey & Company Inc., Kazuhisa established WealthNavi Inc. in April 2015. He received an LL.B. from the University of Tokyo, LL.M. from Harvard Law School, and an M.B.A. with distinction from INSEAD, and is a member of the New York Bar.

Director, CFO

Gaku Hirose

Gaku joined WealthNavi in 2019 after engaging in financing and M&A advisory at Deutsche Securities, Social App Trifort as Director and CFO, and Credit Suisse Securities. He received M.B.A. from Waseda University.

Director, COO

Takuya Ota

Takuya joined WealthNavi in January 2022 after serving as the Marketing Director at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Company, and as the Sales Director and the Head of Educational Business Division for (Junior) High School Students at Benesse Corporation. He began his career at P&G and also worked at McDonald’s Japan. He graduated from Keio University, earned a MBA in Finance from Hitotsubashi University, and obtained a Ph.D from Waseda University.

SVP, Quants & Research

Fumiaki Ushiyama

After working on asset management advisory at MUTB and developing a global investment strategy at Nomura Securities, Fumiaki joined WealthNavi in 2015. He received a Master of Informatics from Kyoto University.

Outside Director

Sumito Togo

After working at McKinsey & Company Inc. Japan and Google, Sumito joined freee K.K. in 2013, where he served as Director and COO, Director and CFO, and then as Director and CPO since October 2022. He graduated from the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, where he conducted research on next-generation rocket propellants at JAXA.

Outside Director

Maki Ogawa

Maki Ogawa is a Chief Analyst and Executive Officer of Sony Financial Holdings Inc.(currently Sony Financial Group Inc.) She began her career as a foreign exchange dealer at First National Bank of Chicago in 1994, before moving to J.P. Morgan, Sony Corporation and the retail banking division of Citibank (currently SMBC Trust Bank). Maki served on the board of Sony Bank from 2017 to June 2021, and has been a director of Sony Lifecare Inc. since June 2021.

Outside Director

Hideto Ito

After joining Tokai Bank (currently MUFG Bank), Hideto served as Chief Manager of various divisions including Retail Branch Management Division and Personnel Department of Human Resources Division. In 2016, he was appointed as General Manager of MUFG Collaboration Division of Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities (MUMSS). He has served as Executive Officer of MUFG, MUSHD and MUMSS since 2019 and then as Managing Executive Officer of the three companies since 2023. He has also been an Outside Director of au Kabucom Securities. He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, and finished Executive Development Program at Kellogg School of Management.

Outside Director, Audit & Supervisory Committee Member

Akira Enomoto

After joining Tokai Bank (currently MUFG Bank), Akira worked in various positions including ALM Director, and since 2002, served as Executive Officer and Head of Market Sales Department, and then Deputy Company Manager of International & Market Department. He then served as a full-time auditor of the Bank from 2006 to 2010. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics, Kyoto University.

Outside Director, Audit & Supervisory Committee Member

Eriko Matsuno

After graduating from the Faculty of Law, the University of Tokyo, Eriko joined Morgan Stanley Japan Securities. After that, she became of member of the Japanese Bar in 2000 and joined Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu Law Offices. She has been an independent practitioner since 2010. Currently, Eriko also serves as an ADR mediator at the Securities and Financial Instruments Mediation Counseling Center (FINMAC).

Outside Director, Audit & Supervisory Committee Member

Sachihiko Fujimoto

After graduating from Kyoto University, Sachihiko worked for the Tokai Bank (currently MUFG Bank) and Chuo Shinko Audit Corporation, he joined Chuo Coopers & Lybrand International Tax Office (currently PwC Tax Japan) and served as Partner and Director of the Finance Department. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Tax Accountant, and holds a Master’s degree in International Business Administration.

Academic advisor
Ph.D., Professor, Keio University

Norio Hibiki

Prof. Hibiki is a professor of engineering at the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Keio University, where he received his Ph.D. degree in engineering. His research interests include financial engineering, risk management and asset allocation. Since 2015, Prof. Hibiki has been an academic advisor and a member of the Investment Committee of WealthNavi Inc.

Advisor

Haruhiko Kato

Haruhiko Kato joined the Ministry of Finance in 1975, and served as Director-General of the Tax Bureau from 2007 to 2009 and then as Commissioner of the National Tax Agency from 2009 to 2010. He then served as President of the Japan Securities Depository Center, Inc. from 2011 to 2019. Haruhiko also served Toyota Motor Corporation as an Outside Director from 2013 to 2018 and as an Audit & Supervisory Board Member from 2019 to 2023. He received an LL.B. from the University of Tokyo.