「UNIKORN」（第二期）参加企業募集開始！ライフサイエンス系スタートアップの英国・欧州進出を支援するプログラム（応募締切2025年3月31日）

Mr Takafumi Horii, President & Representative Director, AstraZeneca K.K.

Takafumi Horii (Taka) is President & Representative Director of AstraZeneca K.K. and leads the business with 3,300 employees across Commercial, R&D and Operations. He also holds industry leadership roles in Japan as vice-chairperson at EFPIA as well as a Standing Director at JPMA.

Prior to his role at AstraZeneca K.K., Taka served in key leadership positions across various regions globally at Takeda Pharmaceutical, including SVP & Head of Japan Oncology Business Unit, VP & Area Head for Near-east, Middle-east, and Africa, President & General Manager in Taiwan, VP & Head of Strategy for Emerging Markets and Head of Strategy for China.

He holds an MBA from Darden School of Business at University of Virginia and completed in Global Management at INSEAD's executive MBA.

Mr Toshihiro Ishikiriyama, Member of the Board, Rege Nephro Co., Ltd.

Current job

Board member of RegeNephro (2019-)
Board member of JCR Pharma (2015-)
Statutory auditor of GSK Japan group (2018-)

Job history:

2019-23 CEO of RegeNephro (Bio venture to develop regenerated medicines)
2012-16 Co-CEO of Japan Vaccine (JV between GSK and Daiichi Sankyo)
2006-12 CFO of GSK Japan supervising business development
2001-06 Head of Corporate Planning, GSK Japan
1994-00 Head of Corporate Planning, Aventis and HMR

Dr Nobutoshi Matsushita, Ph.D., Board Director, Chief Operating Officer, Human Life CORD Japan Inc.; Former Board Director, Head of R&D of Merck BioPharma

Experienced pharma professional with a track record of new drug development, launches and life cycle management in specialty care area such as oncology, autoimmune diseases and retinal diseases, as well as leadership experiences at global companies.

Joined Human Life CORD Japan Inc. as Board Director in Dec 2023, to contribute to realizing the mission and vision of the start up company focusing on the potential of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells to tackle with difficult-to-treat diseases and to support healthy life expectancy.

Mr Philippe Fauchet OBE, Venture Partner, 4BIO Capital

Philippe has spent 35+ years in the Pharmaceutical Industry, of which 25+ spent in Japan and Korea.
Founder of Mirasense Partners, consulting services for Life Sciences Companies.
Venture Partner, 4BioCapital investment fund (UK).
External Director on the Board of Biotechs: Noile-Immune Biotech (4893.T-J); Rezolute Inc. (RZLT - US); JCR Pharma (4552.T - J); LUCA Science (J), a portfolio company of 4BioCapital.
Director on the Board of Medical Excellence Japan, a public-private partnership.

Dr Kihito Takahashi, MD, Ph.D., Head of R&D/Medical Affairs Hub Japan, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum Japan

Kihito Takahashi, MD is currently VP, Head of R&D/Medical Affairs & CMO of Swedish Orphan Biovitrium (SOBI) Japan with over 30 years of experience in drug development and medical affairs in pharmaceutical industry. He served as VP, Merck Research Laboratories from 2003 to 2008. He joined LOTUS Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, in 2009, and served as a President & CEO before joining GSK, where he served as VP and Director of Japan Development until 2020. After stepping down from GSK, he served as Director and COO at BONAC Corporation until 2022. He joined SOBI in 2023, after working as a consultant for life science in Mirasense Partners. He has been actively involved in industry activities including DIA, IFAPP, and EFPIA since he joined pharmaceutical industry. He is currently serving as a global board member of DIA and also as a Councilor of Japanese Association of Pharmaceutical Medicine (JAPhMed).

Mr James C. Feliciano, President and Founder, 3C Advisors GK

James Feliciano is the President of 3C Advisors GK, a Tokyo-based strategic advisory and executive coaching firm focused on healthcare and innovation. With over 25 years of experience leading global pharmaceutical businesses, James has held executive roles at Fortune 100 companies, where he built high-performing organizations, launched market-leading products, and drove commercial success in complex, highly regulated markets.

At 3C Advisors, he partners with startups, investors, and corporates across Japan, the U.S., and Europe—offering advisory support on market entry, organizational build-out, and go-to-market strategy. James is also a certified executive coach (ICF ACC) and a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches community, working with founders and leaders on leadership presence, stakeholder influence, and team development.

As a venture partner at Saisei Ventures, James brings his cross-cultural fluency and operator experience to support early-stage biotech startups navigating the Japan–global bridge. He is especially passionate about enabling Japanese innovation to scale globally through thoughtful leadership, strategic clarity, and investor readiness.