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Special Lecture by Ken Kusunoki: Competitive Strategy and DX

Ken Kusunoki

Hitotsubashi Business School PDS Endowed Chair
Specially Appointed Professor of Competitive Strategy

Management scholar specializing in competitive strategy. Conducts research on the logic behind how companies build sustainable competitive advantages. Completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Commerce and Management, Hitotsubashi University. Previously served as a full-time lecturer and associate professor at the Faculty of Commerce, Hitotsubashi University; visiting professor at SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan, Italy); associate professor at the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University; and professor at Hitotsubashi Business School before assuming his current position in 2023. Born in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, in 1964.

Has held various positions including Vice Chairman of the Startup Committee at the Japan Association of Corporate Directors (current), member of the Porter Prize Steering Committee (current), management advisor to AGC Inc., management advisor to Misaki Capital Inc. (current), member of the Asset Management Advisory Committee at Resona Bank, director at Skymark Airlines Inc., member of the NTT DATA Advisory Board, member of the Industrial Structure Council at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and director of the Academic Association for Organizational Science. Has been involved in the development of management talent at Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. since the inception of the FRMIC (Fast Retailing Management and Innovation Center). Received the Best Paper Award at the MIT-Japan Science and Technology Conference for "Dynamic Network and Bureaucracy" (1993) and the Business Book Grand Prize for "Competitive Strategy as a Story: Conditions for Superior Strategy" (2011).

Ken Kusunoki

Hitotsubashi Business School PDS Endowed Chair
Specially Appointed Professor of Competitive Strategy

Katsuhito Nagatake

uSonar Co., Ltd.
President and Representative Director

Joined uSonar Co., Ltd. as a new graduate in 2000. After serving in roles such as Sales Planning, he was appointed Executive Officer of the Sales Headquarters Planning Group in July 2014. He became President and Representative Director in February 2019. He oversees the entire Sales Headquarters and drives Customer Success and Marketing projects. Since taking office as President, he has grown uSonar's revenue by 260% over five years. He actively participates in various meetings and events, building a network with over 1,000 executives and corporate leaders annually, and continues to conduct more than 500 business meetings per year. He consistently shares the expertise gained from rapidly growing his company's revenue through data-driven sales and marketing activities, not only with his own sales team but also with partners and clients.