In an effort to expand the reach of its Asia-Pacific Research Center, HBS has opened a satellite office in Japan. Masako Egawa (MBA '86) has been named executive director of the Japan Research Office in Tokyo. Formerly an executive director in charge of the transport and services sector at UBS Warburg, Egawa has also worked for Salomon Brothers in New York and Tokyo.

"Although Japan has experienced major economic problems since the 1990s, it is still a significant economy, and many Japanese companies are major global players," Egawa comments. She notes that concepts that brought success to the country in the 1970s and 1980s - ideas such as lifetime employment, cross-shareholding, and keiretsu (Japanese corporate groupings) - are currently undergoing fundamental changes and offer fascinating research possibilities. With the globalization of Japan's economy and structural changes in the country's political and social environment, there are ongoing discussions as to whether Japan will adopt U.S. business practices or maintain its own distinctive outlook. "This debate is relevant to key management issues, including corporate governance, restructuring, leadership, and the role of entrepreneurs," Egawa says. "We need to look at what's really happening on-site and understand what it means."

During a two-week visit to the HBS campus in November, Egawa met with over sixty faculty members and senior administrators in order to be updated on the School's current research and course development initiatives. She expects to work closely with Camille Tang Yeh (MBA '80), executive director of the Asia-Pacific Research Center in Hong Kong, because of the close economic ties between Japan and the rest of Asia.

Egawa recalls many good memories of her days as an MBA student and is delighted to be taking an active part in the HBS community. "It's very refreshing to come back to the campus and see the progress the School is making in developing leading-edge research," she says. "I look forward to my part in building bridges between the academic and business communities in the United States and Japan."

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