Board and committee members

Andreas van Agt (Honorary Chairman)
Born 1931 in Geldrop, the Netherlands, Professor of Criminal Law at Nijmegen University, in 1971 Minister of Justice, from 1977 to 1982 Prime Minister. European Ambassador to Japan and the United States between 1987 and 1995. Honorary degrees from the University of South Carolina, USA, Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, Kwansei Gakuin University in Nishinomiya, Japan and Hansung University in Seoul, Korea.

Members of the board

James Leipnik
Born in the UK in 1954, he started his career with the Canon organisation in 1983, initially in the UK operation where he managed various sales and marketing groups before his final appointment as Marketing Director for the United Kingdom & Ireland. In 1999, he was then appointed to develop the planning for the new Canon Europe organisation initially as Chief of Business Strategy before moving to his current role as Chief of Communication & Corporate Relations. He is responsible for the Brand reputation of Canon in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region by ensuring that all communication is aligned to the organisations stakeholder groups that range from individual consumers and businesses through to government bodies and NGO's.

Willem R. van Gulik
Born 1944 in China, received an international education. In 1971 appointed Curator of the Japanese Department of the National Museum of Ethnology at Leiden, the Netherlands, and from 1982 to 1990 Director. Since 1985 Professor of Japanese Art and Culture and since 1994 Professor of East-Asian Art and Culture at Leiden University. President of the Netherlands-Japan Association, the International Society for Japanese Art and member of several foundation and association boards.

Paul A. Kers
Born in 1960 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Qualified as Chartered-Accountant in 1994. Worked with audit firms for several years as well as for a subsidiary of a UK based firm where several positions in the accounting area were held. Joined Canon Europa N.V. in December 1989 and currently holds a senior position in the Finance department.

Members of the executive committee

David Bloor
Born 1937 in Dover, received a First in Physics and a Ph.D. in Low Temperature Physics from the University of London. Returned to Queen Mary College London after a period as Lecturer at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Promoted to Professor of Polymer Physics before moving to the Chair of Applied Physics at the University of Durham in 1989 and becoming Emeritus Professor in 2002. Served as Co-ordinator of the UK Initiative in Molecular Electronics, sponsored by the DTI and SERC, from 1987 to 1993. Humboldt Fellow at the University of Stuttgart (1975-76) and the University of Bayreuth (1997-98), Erskine Fellow at the University of Canterbury (1983), Royal Society Industrial Fellow at GEC-Marconi (1984-85), Sir Derman Christopherson Foundation Fellow at the University of Durham (1996-97). Appointed Scientific Adviser to Peratech Ltd. 2003. Referee and assessor to a number of funding organisations worldwide; has published and lectured widely.

Claire Guédron Pike
Born Dijon, France, in 1946. Undergraduate B. Com followed by graduate exchange with Czec national Internal Trade Ministry in 1968. Subsequent MBA at INSEAD was extended by engagement as faculty assistant in Economics. Initial professional experience as marketing executive responsible for product launch at global French cosmetics group L’Oréal. Recalled to INSEAD to manage MBA selection department, and then a succession of non-academic, executive roles in shaping continuious international growth of the business school from 1980s onward, including : Director of MBA Programme, Director External Relations, Director of INSEAD funding Development Campaign. Currently Secretary General, overseeing the activities of the school's governing boards and board committees, as well as relations with its major related foundations.

Martin Krönke
Born 1953 in Marburg, Germany. Studied Medicine at the University of Mainz. Certified as a Physician in 1979. From 1980-1985 post-doctoral trainings at the University of Mainz and at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA. 1985-1989 Senior Scientist, Max-Planck-Society, Göttingen. 1989-1990 Heisenberg-Fellow of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. 1991-1995 Associate Professor, Technical University of Munich. 1995-1999 Professor and Chairman at the Institute for Immunology, University of Kiel. Since 1999 Professor and Chairman at the Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, University of Cologne. Since 2002 Director at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC). Member of American and national academies of sciences and science promoting boards.

Patrick Masterson
Born 1936 in Dublin, received a First from University College and Ph.D. from Louvain in 1962. Member of the staff of the University College, Dublin prior to being appointed Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology in 1980. Registrar in 1983 and President in 1986. Principal, European University Institute, Florence, 1994-2002. Numerous appointments in world of teaching and academia. Numerous book and publications on philosophy and religion. Currently, professor (Emeritus), University College Dublin.

José Ignacio Rodrigo Fernandez
Born in Madrid in 1958, received a First in Law, Economics and Business Administration; has been a Spanish state lawyer since 1984. Appointed as legal advisor to the Spanish Secretary of State for Finance, Director of Fireco and the Ares Bank. Professor of Community Law at Comillas University and State Finance School. In 2008, received Magna Cum Laude as Iuris Doctor by the Law School of the Universidad de Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. Published and lectured widely.

Seigo Shima
Born 1960 in Osaka, Japan. Received a Master degree in Agriculture from Osaka Prefectural University and Ph.D in Agriculture from the University of Tokyo. Researcher at Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (1985-1994, Chiba, Japan). 1993-1995 Alexander-von-Humboldt Research Fellow at the University of Marburg, Germany. Since 1995, Group Leader (Microbial Protein Structure) of the Department of Biochemistry at the Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg.