JAPAN CURRENTS 2023

PRESENTER

Shigeru Muraki joined Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. in 1972 after graduating from Applied Chemistry Department of the University of Tokyo. He was appointed chief representative in New York from 1989 to 1994. From 1996 through 2004, he worked at Gas Resources Dept. He was promoted to senior executive officer and CTO in 2004. In 2007, he moved to Energy Solution Division in charge of marketing in commercial and industrial markets and power business. He was appointed Executive Vice President in 2010 and Vice Chairman in 2014. Since April 2015, he has been Executive Adviser for Tokyo Gas.

He was Program Director of Energy Carriers for SIP (Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program) from June 2014 to March 2019.

He was Representative Director of the Clean Fuel Ammonia Association from July 2019 to June 2022, and has been President of the Clean Fuel Ammonia Association since July 2022.

He was assigned to Regional Vice Chair, Asia Pacific and South Asia, of World Energy Council from May 2016 to October 2022.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon in May 2017.

Ashraf Malik is senior vice president, manufacturing and distribution, a role he assumed in September 2019, with accountability for the company’s manufacturing, corporate engineering, environmental health and safety, and distribution facilities. Prior to his current role, he served as vice president, site operations, since 2012. Mr. Malik has more than 30 years of experience within the chemicals industry, having worked in senior roles for GrowHow UK, Terra Industries and ICI PLC.

He is a member of the Institute of Engineering & Technology, London, and the UK Engineering Council. He is a chartered engineer and holds a first class honors degree in Control, Instrumentation & Systems Engineering from The City University, London.

Tetsu YOSHIDA

Senior Vice President, Chemicals Division, Mitsui & Co. (USA), Inc.

Tetsu Yoshida has over 25 years of professional experience in Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Since the start of his career, he has been accumulating insights on the US and Japanese Chemicals industry as well as broad knowledge and experience in business development & strategy, joint ventures, M&A, project financing, trading, marketing, and sales. He has also gained experience managing various organizations of MITSUI group.

Mr. Yoshida is currently the Senior Vice President of the Chemicals Division of Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc., New York Headquarters, where he provides oversight for the existing operations and leads the business development of the Chemicals Division in the Americas.

He received a BA in Economics from Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, as well as an MBA from Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.