AZCA’S
PROFESSIONAL
STAFF
AZCA’s professional staff possesses extensive international backgrounds and direct experience working in the Asia Pacific countries. We are familiar with local business practices and customs in these countries, and maintain valuable professional relationships within the business infrastructure. Each consultant has a unique blend of corporate and venture business experience, coupled with a strong background in management and high technology. This experience added to their advanced degrees from leading universities in both the U.S. and Japan make their knowledge invaluable.
Management Team Members
Management Team
Members
Masazumi Ishii 
Managing Director
Masa has over 30 years of experience as a professional in international business and high technology. While managing AZCA, Inc., he has been active as a venture capitalist over the past 20 years. Currently, he is particularly focusing on supporting the establishment and operation of CVCs (corporate venture capital) for for Japanese companies.
Prior to establishing AZCA in 1985, Masa worked with McKinsey & Company, Inc. and with IBM Japan. Also, he is currently an Academic Advisor to Toyo University and a Visiting Professor at Chubu University in Japan. B. Engineering from Tokyo University, MS in Computer Science from Stanford University.
Mr. Masazumi (“Masa”) Ishii is a Managing Director of AZCA, Inc., a professional firm based in Menlo Park, California, which provides consulting and investment banking services to technology based companies to achieve their corporate development objectives in the Asia-Pacific markets. Based on his over twenty-five years of experience as a professional in international business and high technology, Mr. Ishii has supported numerous companies in North America, as well as Japan and other parts of Asia, in formulating and implementing their strategies on international businesses and new venture development.
Mr. Ishii is also an active investor in emerging high technology companies. He served as a Managing Director of Noventi until 2010 and currently serves as its Venture Partner. Founded in 2002, Noventi manages early-stage technology venture capital investment funds. Noventi’s second fund, launched in 2006, targets the Greentech space. To date, Noventi has invested in early stage companies in the biodiesel, thin film PV, lighting control, and small wind areas.
Prior to establishing AZCA in 1985, Mr. Ishii was a senior management consultant at McKinsey & Company, Inc., where he planned and managed projects for numerous corporations in Japan, Europe and the United States, focusing on international diversification strategies. He was an active member of the firm’s Technology Practice and Electronics Practice. He was also instrumental in developing the firm’s Pacific Rim Practice in providing East-West links for companies entering new markets and establishing businesses on both sides of the Pacific.
Before joining McKinsey, Mr. Ishii was an influential contributor in the computer industry for more than a decade, including eight years with IBM in Japan. While at IBM, Mr. Ishii was involved in a broad range of technical and management activities, and co-authored two books on IBM’s database and data communications architecture.
Mr. Ishii serves on the board and the advisory board of several multinational companies. He also serves on the board of various associations, including the Japan Society of Northern California and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Northern California (President in 2007). He is a member of the Advisory Council of STAJE/SPRIE (Stanford Program for Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurships) at Stanford University. He is also a member of the US-Japan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council.
He is a frequent speaker and writer on issues involving international business development in the high technology industry, and is a well-recognized member of the Pacific Rim business infrastructure. He was also a Senior Executive Advisor to PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), a Xerox company, until 2012. He is a visiting professor at Waseda University Business School and at Graduate School of Engineering, Shizuoka University.
Mr. Ishii holds a Bachelor of Engineering in mathematical engineering and instrumentation physics from the University of Tokyo and a Master of Science in computer science from Stanford University.
Masazumi Ishii
Managing Director
Wayne Doiguchi
Managing Director
Leader of AZCA’s Finance Practice. Wayne has more than 25 years of experience in finance, having worked at Bank of Tokyo and Union Bank of California. He managed many cross border transactions at Park Plaza Investment Company and Strata Ventures, LLC. Currently he serves as a board member of California Bank of Commerce. BA from UCLA, MBA from Santa Clara University.
Wayne Doiguchi
Managing Director
Harumi Kato
Partner
Haru has over 10 years of venture capital experience at Dali Hook Partners and KeyNote Ventures. Previously he worked with NEC both in Japan and US in various managerial positions in strategic planning and corporate venture capital. MS in Engineering from Tokyo University, attended MIT’s Sloan School.
Harumi Kato
Partner
Manabu Tsuyama
Partner
Manabu has more than 20 years of experience as Corporate Executive Staff in strategic R&D planning and new business development, and more than 15 years of experience in open innovation, global partnership and strategic alliances mainly with US companies, as General Manager, both at Sony Corporation. B. Engineering from Tokyo University.
Manabu Tsuyama
Partner
Serdar Uckun
Partner
Serdar leads AZCA’s Boston Office. He has over 20 years of experience as corporate executive, R&D leader, and consultant for world-class organizations including NASA, Xerox PARC, and Rockwell. In addition, he has started two high-tech companies. His interest areas include Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and life sciences / biotech. He has substantial experience in US-Japan R&D partnerships, strategic alliances, intellectual property management and M&A. Education in Medicine (M.D., Ege University) Biomedical Engineering (Ph.D., Vanderbilt University), and Computer Science (Postdoc, Stanford University).
Serdar Uckun
Partner
Robert Peter Gale, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc. (Hon.), F.A.C.P.
Partner
Bob heads AZCA’s Healthcare Practice. He is recognized internationally for his expertise and track record in medicine, especially hematology and oncology, clinical research, transplantation, molecular biology and immunology. Often called on by nations to deal with nuclear and radiation accidents. His medical and research contributions include over 850 scientific articles and over 20 books. Bob’s experience in the biotechnology industry includes Astra-Zeneca, Trition Biosciences, Antigenics Inc, ZIOPHARM, POSCO BioVentures, and most recently Celgene Corporation where he is Executive Director, Clinical Research. Hobart College (AB with high honors, Biology and Chemistry), State University of New York at Buffalo (MD), UCLA (Ph.D., Microbiology and Immunology), Albany Medical College (D.Sc.), Hobart College (L.H.D.), MacMurray College (D.P.S.).
More at www.robertpetergalemd.com.
Robert Peter Gale, M.D., Ph.D.,
D.Sc. (Hon.), F.A.C.P.
Partner
Fumi Okumura
Partner
Head of AZCA’s Tokyo Office. Fumi has over 20 years of experience in technology oriented strategic planning, including ICT strategy development at NTT Communications, and strategy consulting in MOT, digital information and communications, video and content services, tourism strategies, etc. at Corporate Direction (CDI). He is an honorary Member of the Taiwan Institute of Information and Communication Society and an advisor to WildAid (U.S. NGO). BA in French Literature from Waseda University and MBA from Keio University.
Fumi Okumura
Partner
Masazumi Ishii
Managing Director
Masa has over 30 years of experience as a professional in international business and high technology. While managing AZCA, Inc., he has been active as a venture capitalist over the past 20 years. Currently, he is particularly focusing on supporting the establishment and operation of CVCs (corporate venture capital) for for Japanese companies.
Prior to establishing AZCA in 1985, Masa worked with McKinsey & Company, Inc. and with IBM Japan. Also, he is currently an Academic Advisor to Toyo University and a Visiting Professor at Chubu University in Japan. B. Engineering from Tokyo University, MS in Computer Science from Stanford University.
Mr. Masazumi (“Masa”) Ishii is a Managing Director of AZCA, Inc., a professional firm based in Menlo Park, California, which provides consulting and investment banking services to technology based companies to achieve their corporate development objectives in the Asia-Pacific markets. Based on his over twenty-five years of experience as a professional in international business and high technology, Mr. Ishii has supported numerous companies in North America, as well as Japan and other parts of Asia, in formulating and implementing their strategies on international businesses and new venture development.
Mr. Ishii is also an active investor in emerging high technology companies. He served as a Managing Director of Noventi until 2010 and currently serves as its Venture Partner. Founded in 2002, Noventi manages early-stage technology venture capital investment funds. Noventi’s second fund, launched in 2006, targets the Greentech space. To date, Noventi has invested in early stage companies in the biodiesel, thin film PV, lighting control, and small wind areas.
Prior to establishing AZCA in 1985, Mr. Ishii was a senior management consultant at McKinsey & Company, Inc., where he planned and managed projects for numerous corporations in Japan, Europe and the United States, focusing on international diversification strategies. He was an active member of the firm’s Technology Practice and Electronics Practice. He was also instrumental in developing the firm’s Pacific Rim Practice in providing East-West links for companies entering new markets and establishing businesses on both sides of the Pacific.
Before joining McKinsey, Mr. Ishii was an influential contributor in the computer industry for more than a decade, including eight years with IBM in Japan. While at IBM, Mr. Ishii was involved in a broad range of technical and management activities, and co-authored two books on IBM’s database and data communications architecture.
Mr. Ishii serves on the board and the advisory board of several multinational companies. He also serves on the board of various associations, including the Japan Society of Northern California and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Northern California (President in 2007). He is a member of the Advisory Council of STAJE/SPRIE (Stanford Program for Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurships) at Stanford University. He is also a member of the US-Japan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council.
He is a frequent speaker and writer on issues involving international business development in the high technology industry, and is a well-recognized member of the Pacific Rim business infrastructure. He was also a Senior Executive Advisor to PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), a Xerox company, until 2012. He is a visiting professor at Waseda University Business School and at Graduate School of Engineering, Shizuoka University.
Mr. Ishii holds a Bachelor of Engineering in mathematical engineering and instrumentation physics from the University of Tokyo and a Master of Science in computer science from Stanford University.
Masazumi Ishii
Managing Director
Wayne Doiguchi
Managing Director
Leader of AZCA’s Finance Practice. Wayne has more than 25 years of experience in finance, having worked at Bank of Tokyo and Union Bank of California. He managed many cross border transactions at Park Plaza Investment Company and Strata Ventures, LLC. Currently he serves as a board member of California Bank of Commerce. BA from UCLA, MBA from Santa Clara University.
Wayne Doiguchi
Managing Director
Harumi Kato
Partner
Haru has over 10 years of venture capital experience at Dali Hook Partners and KeyNote Ventures. Previously he worked with NEC both in Japan and US in various managerial positions in strategic planning and corporate venture capital. MS in Engineering from Tokyo University, attended MIT’s Sloan School.
Harumi Kato
Partner
Manabu Tsuyama
Partner
Manabu has more than 20 years of experience as Corporate Executive Staff in strategic R&D planning and new business development, and more than 15 years of experience in open innovation, global partnership and strategic alliances mainly with US companies, as General Manager, both at Sony Corporation. B. Engineering from Tokyo University.
Manabu Tsuyama
Partner
Serdar Uckun
Partner
Serdar leads AZCA’s Boston Office. He has over 20 years of experience as corporate executive, R&D leader, and consultant for world-class organizations including NASA, Xerox PARC, and Rockwell. In addition, he has started two high-tech companies. His interest areas include Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and life sciences / biotech. He has substantial experience in US-Japan R&D partnerships, strategic alliances, intellectual property management and M&A. Education in Medicine (M.D., Ege University) Biomedical Engineering (Ph.D., Vanderbilt University), and Computer Science (Postdoc, Stanford University).
Serdar Uckun
Partner
Robert Peter Gale, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc. (Hon.), F.A.C.P.
Partner
Bob heads AZCA’s Healthcare Practice. He is recognized internationally for his expertise and track record in medicine, especially hematology and oncology, clinical research, transplantation, molecular biology and immunology. Often called on by nations to deal with nuclear and radiation accidents. His medical and research contributions include over 850 scientific articles and over 20 books. Bob’s experience in the biotechnology industry includes Astra-Zeneca, Trition Biosciences, Antigenics Inc, ZIOPHARM, POSCO BioVentures, and most recently Celgene Corporation where he is Executive Director, Clinical Research. Hobart College (AB with high honors, Biology and Chemistry), State University of New York at Buffalo (MD), UCLA (Ph.D., Microbiology and Immunology), Albany Medical College (D.Sc.), Hobart College (L.H.D.), MacMurray College (D.P.S.).
More at www.robertpetergalemd.com.
Robert Peter Gale, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc. (Hon.), F.A.C.P.
Partner
Fumi Okumura
Partner
Head of AZCA’s Tokyo Office. Fumi has over 20 years of experience in technology oriented strategic planning, including ICT strategy development at NTT Communications, and strategy consulting in MOT, digital information and communications, video and content services, tourism strategies, etc. at Corporate Direction (CDI). He is an honorary Member of the Taiwan Institute of Information and Communication Society and an advisor to WildAid (U.S. NGO). BA in French Literature from Waseda University and MBA from Keio University.