Minoru (Ben) Makihara is currently the Senior Corporate Advisor of Mitsubishi Corporation since April 2004. After graduating from Harvard University in 1954, he joined Mitsubishi Corporation in 1956 and was appointed Chairman in 1998. Prior to this appointment, he served as General Manager of the Washington Office of Mitsubishi International Corporation, U.S.A. (1971), President of Mitsubishi International Corporation (1987) and President of Mitsubishi Corporation (1992).
Mr. Makihara is a member of the boards of Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Logistics Corporation. He also serves on: the Harvard Asia Center Advisory Committee; the International Panel Emeritus Member of Temasek Holdings; the International Advisory Board of Hakluyt & Company Limited; and McLarty Associates. He is also Director General of the Toyo Bunko, and Advisor for the Japan CULCON, U.S.- Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange.