Rakuten: How to Promote Global Innovation

October 30, 2018
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Uris Hall, 3022 Broadway, New York, NY 10027 303
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2018-10-30 12:30:00 2018-10-30 14:00:00 Rakuten: How to Promote Global Innovation Uris Hall, 3022 Broadway, New York, NY 10027 303 Columbia SIPA America/New_York public

CJEB welcomes you to a lunchtime "zadankai" seminar: Rakuten: How to Promote Global Innovation

Featuring:
Yaz Iida - President, Rakuten USA, Inc.

Moderated by:
David Weinstein - Carl S. Shoup Professor of the Japanese Economy, Columbia University

What you’ll learn:
-The history of Rakuten, a global eCommerce company from Japan whose U.S. pursuits include popular cashback website Ebates

-How Rakuten is developing its brand in the U.S., such as through partnerships with the Golden State Warriors and Spartan Race

-The company’s current innovations and long-term strategies for growth

Biography:

Yaz Iida is President of Rakuten USA, Inc., the American regional headquarters of global innovation company Rakuten Inc.

Yaz has held senior-level positions at a number of global brands including Gillette, Disney, and Dyson. As President of Dyson, he led the company from an unrecognized consumer electronics company to becoming the number one vacuum cleaner brand in Japan.

Yaz holds a B.A. in Law from Nihon University, a B.B.A. in Marketing from Portland State University, and an M.B.A. from Nihon University Graduate School of Business.

Yaz is a big baseball fan and played competitively in Japan. He is an enthusiastic sports fan and cheers on his local northern California teams – especially the Golden State Warriors!

Yaz is the driving force behind Rakuten’s success in the Americas region following the company’s acquisition of LinkShare in 2005. Now called Rakuten Marketing, the now global ad tech company launched Rakuten’s presence in the United States.

Under Yaz’s leadership from Rakuten’s Americas regional headquarters in Silicon Valley, the company is accelerating its growth through acquisitions and investments. The company has embarked on strategic partnerships with major brands in the U.S., including the multinational retailer Walmart and the reigning NBA Champion, the Golden State Warriors, as their first-ever jersey-badge partner.

Today, with more than 3,000 employees across North and South America and millions of members and business clients, Rakuten delivers consumer and business offerings that span rewards, ecommerce, marketing services and data.

Lunch will be served. Advance registration is required.

General Contact: Taylor Cook, [email protected].