Akihiro Kawara

President, SMBC Capital Markets, Inc.

Akihiro Kawara is an Executive Officer and President of SMBC Capital Markets, Inc. He was appointed to this position on April 1, 2023.

Prior to his current assignment, Akihiro was Deputy Head of SMBC Americas Division, Head of Sales & Trading, and Chairperson, President, and CEO of Capital Markets, Inc.

Akihiro was appointed in April 2021 as Chairperson of SMBC Capital Markets, Inc. In this role, he was responsible for implementing company policies, business strategies, and budget plans for the derivatives business; monitoring business results, including profits and losses; overseeing the organization’s capital and expenses; supervising treasury operations to maintain financial stability; and monitoring and managing risks.

Before joining the Americas Division, Akihiro was assigned in 2018 as General Manager of the Planning Department for the Global Markets Business Unit of SMFG, where he was dedicated to establishing a strong SMBC Group sales and trading platform to provide superior services and solutions to clients worldwide. In addition to his SMBC Treasury Unit responsibilities, which he had managed for eight years, Akihiro oversaw SMBC Nikko’s market business through his role in its financial holding company.

Akihiro was promoted in April 2020 to Executive Officer of SMFG and SMBC.

Akihiro joined SMBC in 1992 in the Business Promotion Section in Kobe, Japan, where he focused on business loans, foreign exchange-related services, and financial advisory for private clients and small-to-medium-sized companies.

Throughout his career at SMBC, Akihiro held various positions of increasing responsibility with the Treasury Department and SMBC Capital Markets, Inc. in Tokyo and New York. His roles included Vice President of Planning Department, Treasury Unit; Senior Vice President, Trading; and as the Head of the Planning Group, Treasury Unit.

Akihiro holds a Bachelor of Economics from Kyoto University.