Kathy Matsui

Summary

Kathy Mitsuko Matsui is a Co-Founder and General Partner of MPower Partners, Japan’s first ESG-focused global venture capital fund. She was the former vice chair of Goldman Sachs Japan, co-head of Macro Research in Asia and chief Japan equity strategist. Kathy was ranked No. 1 in Japan Equity Strategy by Institutional Investor multiple times. Her "Womenomics" research spurred the Japanese government to promote gender diversity as part of the nation's economic growth strategy. She was chosen by The Wall Street Journal as one of the "10 Women to Watch in Asia" and was also named to Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women in Asia” and Forbes’ “50 Over 50 in Asia” lists in 2024 Kathy was previously chief Japan strategist for Barclays de Zoete Wedd Securities and worked at the Export-Import Bank of Japan’s Washington, DC office. She was a policy commentator for Japan’s Cabinet Office and has served on numerous Japanese government committees aimed at promoting gender diversity and global corporate governance standards. Kathy serves as an external board director of Fast Retailing Inc., adjunct professor at Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Management, board member of the US-Japan Council, Asian University for Women (AUW) Support Foundation, Fast Retailing Foundation, University of Tokyo Global Navigation Board, The Nature Conservancy Asia Pacific Council, Yamauchi Foundation, and the Mori Art Museum. She serves as the DE&I Committee Chair of the Japan Venture Capital Association and is a Global Advisor for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Kathy is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Keizai Doyukai, and the Japan Society Fund Against Breast Cancer. She previously served as an external board director for Paidy. In 2020, she published a best-selling Japanese book entitled "How to Nurture Female Employees." Kathy earned an AB, magna cum laude, in Social Studies from Harvard University and an MA from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies. She conducted research on Japanese foreign policy at Kobe University Graduate School on a Rotary Scholarship. She is a mother of two and resides in Tokyo, Japan.