Hitoshi Funahashi

After working at a general trading company where he gained experience in developing chemicals for overseas sales, export operations, and national bidding, Hitoshi Funahashi joined Recruit Corporation in 1987 and was assigned to the human resources general services division, and then to the new business development office. In 1996, he led the creation of a business incubation division in the company.

He also launched the publication of the magazine Entre and began to provide start-up companies with comprehensive support services combining the functions of a magazine, Internet, events, and individual consulting. In 2000, he took over Recruit’s business support services project and established Actcell Corporation. In 2001, Actcell corporation entered a partnership with Intellectual Capital AB (ICAB), a Swedish intellectual capital rating company, and obtained the license for its IC Rating® approach for evaluating “off balance sheet” substantive corporate value, and successfully developed a Japanese version of this rating method.

In 2003, Actcell acquired the capital of ICAB, and in 2010 made the Swedish company a 100% subsidiary. Hitoshi is an advocate of intellectual capitalism, which ensures fair and appropriate profits for all stakeholders of companies including top executives, employees, partners, customers, and shareholders. He is actively engaged in studying and implementing ICMG’s own approaches to intellectual capital management. Mr. Funahashi has MBA and Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Economics at Waseda University, and is a member of the Subcommittee on Management and Intellectual Assets, New Growth Policy Committee, Industrial Structure Council, METI.