New Chairman and Board elected of the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce in Japan

Today, December 6, 2013, Mr. Bolli Thoroddsen, CEO of Takanawa, was elected as Chairman of the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ISCCJ) and Dr. Kaoru Nozu, Executive Representative of Takanawa Pharma, was elected Director of ISCCJ. Mr. Thoroddsen began his tenure upon election by its members. Iceland's new Ambassador to Japan, his excellency Mr. Hannes Heimisson, serves as the Chamber's Honorary Chairman and Mr. Árni G. Hauksson was elected as Vice-Chairman.

Speech made by Mr. Thoroddsen, the new Chairman, at the ISCCJ General Meeting

“It is a great honor for me to serve as the Chairman of the new board and I will give it my utmost. The Chamber includes leading Japanese companies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Fuji Electric, Maruha Nichiro and more, as well as Icelandic companies all leading in their fields such as Icelandic Japan, Eimskip, Viking, Cooori and more.

There are exiting times ahead for the Chamber. We are expecting Ministers from Iceland to visit Japan, and even Ministers from Japan visiting Iceland. The Chamber intends to organize business events, and assist both Japanese and Icelandic companies to strengthen current relations and explore new opportunities. Icelandic society is fortunate to have such a solid friend as Japan and the Japanese. Japan is Iceland's second largest trade partner outside Europe after the United States. Japan is the foreign country that supports most generously Icelandic students and artists. The number of Japanese tourists that visit Iceland has in recent years increased rapidly by about 15% every year. And not least Japanese is the second most popular foreign language, after English, taught at the University of Iceland. The companies in the Chamber have all played an important role in establishing this  important friendship between Japan and Iceland.”

Also elected to the board of the ISCCJ are the following:

Elected as Secretary General

            - Mr. Halldor E. Olafsson; Trade Representative at the Icelandic Embassy Tokyo

Elected as Directors

            - Mr. Arnar Jensson, CEO at Cooori

            - Dr. Kaoru Nozu, Takanawa

            - Mr. Kanji Ohashi, Chairman of Mori Hospitality Group

            - Mr. Loftur Thorarinsson, Managing Director at Winaico Japan

            - Mr. Taro Miyazaki, Sales Manager at Icelandic Japan

About the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce in Japan, ISCCJ

The Icelandic Chamber of Commerce in Japan was founded on the 13th of January, 2003 at the then newly established Icelandic Embassy in Tokyo, by then Iceland´s  Prime Minister David Oddsson, in cooperation with representatives from Japanese and Icelandic companies.

The ISCCJ is an independent organization run by its members - a strong network of professionals - , in cooperation with the Embassy of Iceland in Japan.

The Chamber currently has 21 members, and seeks to increase the membership in the coming months. The Chamber´s goal is to provide networking opportunities for members, and serve as a platform for dialogue between members and the overall business community in Japan; including, but not limited to, the other Scandinavian Chambers, the European Business Council and more.