Harvard Business School Club of Japan Sustainability Seminar Series #3 

"Business Opportunities in Climate Adaptation" by HBS Professor John Macomber

Register here 

November 11th, 2021 18:00 - 19"00 AEST / 20:00 - 21:00 JST

The world is seeing increasing stress from sea level rise, river flooding, wildfire, drought, and heat.  How will homeowners, businesses, institutions, and indeed local and regional governments decide what assets and people to protect, which to reinforce, and which to move? Where will they get accurate information about climate-related perils in a time of competing forecasts and escalating exposures?  Where, when, and how will inventors, businesses, banks, and insurers find opportunity in this time of displacement? In this exclusive HBS Alumni Club of Japan presentation and conversation, HBS professor John Macomber will discuss his current research into how climate change will transform the way we build and invest.    Then we will hear responses from two people who are deeply engaged in this sector.    Please join us for this timely research presentation, discussion, and questions and answers. 

The seminar will be in English and open to general audiences. 

Speakers

John Macomber, Senior Lecturer in Finance, Harvard Business School 

John Macomber is a member of the Finance faculty at Harvard Business School.  His professional background is in real estate and construction.  At HBS, Mr. Macomber teaches courses including “Building Sustainable Cities” and “Business Opportunities in Climate Adaptation.  He has published extensively in HBR and elsewhere.  His most recent book is “Healthy Buildings:  How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity” with Dr. Joseph Allen of the TH Chan Harvard School of Public Health.

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman, Ayala Group, The Philippines

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala is the Chairman of Ayala Corporation, one of the largest business groups in the Philippines with interests in real estate, banking, telecommunications, energy and infrastructure, industrial and technologies, healthcare, and education. Outside the Ayala group, he is a member of various business and socio- civic organizations in the Philippines and abroad, including the JP Morgan International Council, the JP Morgan Asia Pacific Council, the Mitsubishi Corporation International Advisory Council and LeapFrog Investment’s Global Leadership Council.

Koichi Narasaki,  CEO, Palantir Japan and CDO,  SOMPO Holdings

Koichi Narasaki is CEO of Digital Business Unit(SOMPO Light Vortex, Inc.) and Chief Digital Officer of SOMPO Holdings as well as CEO of Palantir Technologies Japan. Koichi drives and delivers new digital experiences and values in the safety, security, and health for the society as a whole by leveraging the power of digital, data and AI technologies. Prior to joining SOMPO, Koichi led 5 startups as COO or CEO, mostly in the Silicon Valley, U.S. for 16 years. These software startups include Midokura Corporation, UBIP, IP Infusion, ACCESS CO., LTD, and Lineo, Inc. Before those, he spent 20 years at Mitsubishi Corporation driving global business developments and strategic investments in the network infrastructure area.