NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merit E. Janow, Dean Emerita, School of International and Public Affairs, and Professor of Practice, International Economic Law and International Affairs, Columbia University, will be the new Chair of the Board of Japan Society. Following a unanimous vote, the Society’s Board of Directors announced that Janow will step into her role as Chair effective July 1, 2022. Janow, an internationally recognized expert in international trade and investment, will be the first female Board Chair since the organization's founding. She has extensive experience in business, academia, and government that spans her life-long involvement with Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.
“I am truly honored to serve as Chair of the Board at Japan Society,” says Janow. “Japan, and more specifically Japan Society, offer Americans sophisticated, topical, and broad-ranging experiences that facilitate the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and innovation.”
Janow, who grew up in Tokyo, joined the Board of Directors in 2005. She is a past Chair of the Program Committee and currently serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Janow succeeds Joseph R. Perella, who will step down as Chairman after five years of exemplary service.
“We are thrilled to welcome Merit Janow as our new Board Chair,” said Joshua W. Walker, President and CEO of Japan Society. “Her deep connection to the Asia-Pacific region underscores her unique candidacy and her nuanced understanding of the U.S.-Japan space. She is one of the rare individuals who has equal fluency in the worlds of public policy and business. Merit knows us well, and we are excited to embark on this new journey together.”
Janow’s first public appearance as Japan Society’s Chair-Elect took place at the Society’s 2022 Annual Dinner, on June 21, 6:30 pm at Cipriani 42nd Street (110 East 42nd Street). The dinner featured a keynote dialogue with Jane Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, Citi, and honored baseball star Hideki Matsui.
About Merit E. Janow
Janow has been on the faculty of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Columbia Law School since 1994 and served as Dean of SIPA from 2013 through 2021. In 2003, Janow was elected for a four-year term as one of the seven Members of the World Trade Organization's Appellate Body. From 1997-2000, she served as Executive Director of the first international antitrust advisory committee to the Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust of the U.S. Justice Department. Prior to joining Columbia University, from 1989-93, she was Deputy Assistant USTR for Japan and China in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Janow currently serves as independent Chair of Mastercard, as well as a Board member of funds within the American Funds/Capital group, and Aptiv. She is a trustee of the National Committee on US-China Relations and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is on the global advisory council of MUFG and was an inaugural member of the international advisory council of China’s sovereign fund, the China Investment Corporation. She has a JD from Columbia Law School and a BA in Asian Studies with honors from the University of Michigan.
About Japan Society
Japan Society is the premier organization connecting Japanese arts, culture, business, and society with audiences in New York and around the world. Japan Society forges deep connections to bind people together – and is committed to telling the story of Japan while strengthening connections within New York City and building new bridges beyond. Learn more here.
