PROFESSIONAL LUNCHEON
Takeshi Niinami
President and CEO, LAWSON, Inc.

The speech and Q & A will be in English.

Harvard-trained Takeshi Niinami has led Lawson Inc. to be ranked this year as one of the "2012 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations" by Corporate Knights Inc., a Canada-based media company. This is the first time that a convenience store is named on the list.

The award recognizes Lawson's efforts to pursue sustainable growth while benefiting society with its business activities.

As the President and Chief Executive Officer of the leading convenience store brand, Niinami has been devoted to promoting the revitalization of Japan and expanding the role of agriculture in boosting the economy.

The company is among the early pioneers in understanding the importance of Asia as a new growth engine. It opened its first convenience store in Shanghai in 1996, and now the brand has spread to almost every major corner of that mega-city with 315 stores. It also operates four stores in Chongqing, a metropolis in southwestern China.

However, in Japan and Asia as a whole, Lawson is facing fierce competition from convenience store chains like 7-Eleven. Lawson has been intensively recruiting Chinese and other Asian students in Japan, a strategy which provides competitive cost structure and opportunities for workers once they are back home. But at a time when an increasing number of Japanese companies are copying the strategy, new ideas must be found.

How does Niinami plan to react to such challenges and to which country will Lawson turn next to increase its presence? Come and hear what he has to say!

Menu:
Menu: Sauteed Salmon with Tomato Salsa,Carrots and Green Vegetables, Seasonal Salad

Takeshi Niinami, President and CEO, LAWSON, Inc.