International Policy Forum - Speakers Bio - 2023.04.27

Aug 25, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

International Policy Forum “Speakers Bio” pages provide professional background summaries for Yoshihiro Seki and Jakob Edberg. Seki’s biography outlines his economic and environmental leadership roles, career trajectory from banking, and later parliamentary committee directorships alongside ministerial posts. Edberg’s biography focuses on two decades in Japanese politics and policy-making, highlighting executive leadership at GR Japan, prior roles in government-facing advocacy for major companies, and trade and policy experience supporting legislation and regulatory efforts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Speakers Bio

Yoshihiro Seki

Jakob Edberg

International Policy Forum SPEAKERS BIO Yoshihiro Seki Member of the House of Representatives, Former State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and State Minister of the Environment Yoshihiro Seki (born 1965) is a native of Tokushima and a graduate of Kwansei University’s Faculty of Economics (1991) . Upon graduation, Seki joined Sumitomo Bank (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation) and worked at the Osaka and Tokyo branches for a total of 14 years. In 2015, he obtained his MBA from the University of Wales. Seki made his political debut in the 2005 House of Representatives election as the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidate for Hyogo 3rd District. He lost his seat in the 2009 election, when the LDP suffered a major defeat. He made a comeback in 2012 and is now serving his fifth term. Under Abe, Seki held a few key ministerial positions such as Parliamentary Secretary for Economy, Trade, and Industry (2014), State Minister of Environment (2016) and State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (2018) . Within the House of Representatives, Seki has served as Director of the Health, Labor, and Welfare Committee, Director of the Budget Committee, Director of the Okinawa and Northern Problems Special Committee, and Director of the Cabinet Committee. He was previously the Deputy Secretary General of the LDP and Director of the Second Cabinet Division under the LDP Policy Research Council (overseeing matters related to technology, economic and fiscal policies, administrative reform, and other areas) . His policy interests include economic growth strategy and financial revitalization. Seki also served as Chair of the House of Representatives’ Environment Committee. He is the initiator and Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party's Semiconductor Diet Members Caucus, which held its first meeting in May 2021. He is the current Leading Director of the House of Representatives Committee on Economy, Trade and Industry. Jakob Edberg President & CEO, GR Japan Jakob Edberg has been deeply immersed in Japan’s politics and policy-making for two decades. As President & CEO of GR Japan, he works and helps clients solve complex political and regulatory challenges in a large variety of sectors and fields-retail, energy, pharmaceuticals, financial services, project financing, foreign policy, and trade just to mention a few. Before co-founding GR Japan, he was Policy Director at the European Business Council in Japan, where he supervised government outreach and advocacy for over 300 companies in 29 sector committees. He also served as a senior trade officer at the Swedish Embassy in Tokyo. Representing international businesses' interests on ministry and party committees, he has a wealth of experience with the Japanese administration and Diet, on everything from front-page trade issues and technical product standards, to successful campaigns for new legislation and financial regulation.

FAQs

Who is Yoshihiro Seki and what are his main public roles?

Yoshihiro Seki is a member of Japan’s House of Representatives who previously served as State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and State Minister of the Environment. He has also directed multiple House committees including Health, Labor, and Welfare and the Budget Committee.

What professional background did Seki have before entering politics?

After graduating from Kwansei University’s Faculty of Economics, Seki joined Sumitomo Bank and worked across Osaka and Tokyo branches for a total of 14 years. He later earned an MBA from the University of Wales in 2015.

What is Jakob Edberg’s focus in his work?

Jakob Edberg leads GR Japan, helping clients address complex political and regulatory challenges across sectors such as retail, energy, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. His experience includes government outreach and advocacy as well as trade and policy work supporting legislation and regulation.

Aug 25, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah