As the UK gears up for a general election, we are in the throes of our own poll.
In line with the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) constitution, our Executive Committee (excom) is run by 12-15 members.
On 13 March, we opened the nomination period for excom seats in the 2015–16 chamber year. We received 18 nominations and all candidates agreed to proceed with a contested election.
From 10-23 April, BCCJ members with voting rights have been asked to vote in an online poll, since there are 18 candidates competing for 15 seats. Each candidate’s pledge outlining how they plan to serve the BCCJ, along with their photo, can be viewed on www.bccjapan.com.
Election process
Under the BCCJ’s one-member-one-vote framework, votes are submitted by a nominated representative from each member company, as well as from all individual members.
Via our secure voting platform, voters can select a minimum of one and a maximum of 15 candidates.
David Bickle, current president of the BCCJ, has raised his hand to serve for a second term as president and chair of excom, which he joined in 2013.
Sue Kinoshita, director of UK Trade & Investment at the British Embassy Tokyo, and Jeff Streeter, director of the British Council Japan, will continue to serve as our ex-officio excom members. Both will leave Japan later this year, at which point we will welcome their successors to excom.
The election results will be announced at our AGM, which will take place on 27 April from 6:30pm at the Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo. British Ambassador to Japan Tim Hitchens CMG LVO will open the event.
I encourage all members to attend to bid sayonara to another fruitful year at the chamber and welcome your new excom. Thank you for your active participation.
2015-16 candidates
• Alison Beale, University of Oxford Japan Office
• David Bickle, Deloitte Touche Tomatsu Tax Co.
• Jonty Brunner, British Airways
• Steve Crane, Business Link Japan K.K.
• Graham Davis, Individual Member
• James Dodds, KPMG
• Simon Farrell, Custom Media K.K.
• Philippe Fauchet, GlaxoSmithKline K.K.
• Iain Ferguson, Lloyd’s Japan Inc.
• Jeremy Gibb, Norton Rose Fulbright
• George Johnson, Harvey Nash Japan K.K.
• Susumu Kaminaga, Individual Member
• Struan MacKay, CDSi K.K.
• Reiko Sakimura, Clifford Chance Law Office
• Ajab Samrai, Ogilvy & Mather (Japan) G.K.
• John Short, Kreab
• Richard Thornley CBE, Individual Member
• Trevor Webster, deVere Group Tokyo K.K.
