Executive/Fellow Profiles
Directors
Tetsuo Fujioka (Chairman)
Fujioka joined a food company in 1980 and worked for development of powder and granular material handling machinery, plant design and construction. In 1991, he joined a major engineering company, and served as engineering manager, project manager, project director and department director responsible for pharmaceutical factory projects in Japan as well as overseas for 20 years.
In August 2009, he joined CM Plus Corporation. He takes always a leading role in life science projects with a spirit of “go along with the customer”. He is fully competent to operate a wide variety of services, covering architectural equipment, manufacturing facility, estimate and evaluation, procurement, detailed design, construction management and C & Q. He participated in the EM COP and the Maintenance COP of ISPE Japan. He became company director in September 2015, and promoted to President in August 2016, then appointed to Chairman of CM Plus Japan in July 2020.
Satoshi Suekane (President)
Suekane joined a major engineering company in 1985 and assigned to construction management tasks of domestic and foreign chemical plants. Then, he was transferred to Life Science Project Department in 1989 and appointed to engineering manager and project manager responsible for various sorts of project such as synthetic drugs, eye drops, solid formulations, bio and injections etc. He was finally promoted to a group leader of the Project Department.
The ISPE Facility of the Year 2009 Finalist was awarded to the project successfully managed by him.
He was moved to the Overseas Projects Department in 2009, and became responsible for management of mega-sized projects as the project control manager or engineering manager.
He joined CM Plus Corporation in October 2014 and actively engaged in life science projects. He was appointed to a member of the Board in Sept. 2015, then promoted to Senior Vice President in April 2018. From July 2020, he is President of CM Plus Japan.
Syunichi Hirashima (Executive Vice President)
Hirashima joined Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (now Astellas Pharna Inc.) in1980. He was engaged in the production of pharmaceutical products and quality assurance for 37 years. Meanwhile, he was appointed to the president in Astellas pharma Tech Co., Ltd. and successfully managed all the domestic group plants. Then, he was appointed to the head of the quality department being globally responsible including Japan, US and Europe of Astellas Pharma Inc. He has got thorough knowledge of site problems as well as management regarding pharmaceutical manufacture.
He joined CM Plus in January 2017 as a member of the Board. He was appointed to Senior Vice President in April 2018, then promoted to Executive Vice President in July 2020.
Toru Itabashi (Senior Vice president)
Itabashi joined a major engineering company in 1983, and he had been engaged in the domestic and overseas financial management for 34 years. During his service, he was appointed to Business Strategy Department Manager, Business Development Dept. Manager, and Deputy General Manager of the No. 3 Projects Division. Meanwhile, he spent 6 years overseas in Iran, UK, etc. He also served as Vice President of a subsidiary in Japan. In 2013, he was promoted to Associate Director.
He joined CM Plus Corporation in July 2017. He served as Manager of Open Seminar Dept., Group Administration Div., a statutory auditor, and became Senior Vice President in April 2018.
Executive Officers
Susumu Machida (Executive Vice president)
Machida joined a major engineering company in 1989 and assigned to the task of engineering and project management of pharmaceutical plant. He engaged in the plant design for biotechnological API, sterile drugs, solid dosages, chemical API including qualification/validation activities. He was a founding member of ISPE Japan Affiliate. His contribution includes creation of the Japanese Review of Guideline of Biotechnological API, and subsequently received “Acknowledgement” of appreciation from Mr. Robert P. Best - the President CEO of ISPE International Headquarters.
He joined CM Plus Cooperation in 2010. At CM Plus, he was in charge of animal cell culture PJ, synthetic API PJ, cell processing center PJ , sterile drug product PJ , solid formulation PJ, chemical hazard formulation PJ , SOP creation / CSV review operations.
He was appointed as a member of the Board in September 2013 and further promoted as Managing Director in September 2014. From April 2018, he is Vice President of CM Plus Japan.
Masao Kawai
Kawai Joined a major engineering company in 1981. After experiencing nuclear mechanical design and chemical process design, he was transferred to the life science department in 1993, where he was in charge of process design for numerous biopharmaceuticals, synthetic APIs, and aseptic preparations. Since 2014, he has been in charge of department management. Outside the company, he has held WS, development, committee members, etc. at Japan PDA, ISPE, Japan Health Sciences Foundation, Japan Society of Pharmaceutical Machinery and Engineering.
After joining CM Plus Corporation in 2017, he was in charge of engineering manager for aseptic preparations, oral preparations, external preparations, and APIs for medium molecules. In July 2020, he was appointed to Senior Vice President.
Yotaro Nakajima
Nakajima joined a major engineering company in 1992. He has been involved in various facility construction projects including solid dosage form and injection manufacturing facilities, quality control facilities, medical devices, and logistics facilities. He has served as engineering manager and project manager for large projects involving biopharmaceutical API/formulations and high potency solid dosage forms. His experience includes biosafety level 3 containment facilities and single-use biopharmaceutical API plants.
He joined CM Plus in 2019, he was appointed to Executive Officer in July 2022.
Shigeru Yamada
Yamada joined a major engineering company in 1995. After experiencing process design, he engaged in mechanical process design for plants in the U.S. and Asia. Since 2009, He was in charge of project management for plant construction in the Philippines, Indonesia, Chile, and other countries. After joining CM Plus, in 2021, he served as project manager for construction projects of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing facilities. He was appointed to Executive Officer in July 2023.
Fellow
Akio Nakao
Nakao started his career in 1976 at Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd. After carrying out research in synthetic organic chemistry and process chemistry (industrialization) at the company, he successively took the positions of quality assurance manager, director and general manager of production, and managing director in charge of management planning. After Tanabe merged with Mitsubishi to become Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Nakao became Managing Executive Officer and Chief Director of Medicine Manufacturing. Through his experience in dealing with FDA inspections and activities at the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), Nakao became convinced that GMP is an "exact science."
Finding that his beliefs were reflected in CM Plus Corporation's enthusiasm for improving GMP education, Nakao joined CM Plus in 2011 as a Director and be promoted as executive vice-president in 2012.
From April 2018, he was appointed to Fellow of CM Plus Corporation.
Yutaka Kokubun
Kokubun joined a major engineering company in 1973. He was engaged in many overseas projects such as petroleum refineries and LNG plants, in charge of all phases of project execution including cost estimating, planning, procurement, material control, subcontracting, schedule control, cost control, commissioning, handover, and job close-out. In 1997, he was appointed to Manager of Cost Estimate and Subcontracts Section responsible for all overseas projects. In 2003 he was appointed to the General Manger of Construction Department responsible for all projects abroad to manage 10-15 on-going sites of approximately 50,000 workers with a total budget of $15 billion per annum. In 2005, he was promoted to Associate Director. In 2007 he was appointed to General Manager of Project Operation Services Division to oversee four (4) departments (Procurement, QC, Construction and Commissioning).
He joined CM Plus Corporation in October 2010. In April 2018, he was appointed to Fellow and Auditor of CM Plus Corporation
Takayuki Tsuji (Auditor)
Tsuji joined a major engineering company in April 1980. After services for design and construction for domestic energy plants, he was transferred in 1989 to Industrial Project Division. Throughout his 21 years of service, he achieved excellent performances as project manager and proposal manager in various domestic and overseas projects for both Japanese and foreign clients. His experience includes R&D Center, Factory, Electronic Device Manufacturing and Infrastructure Facilities. In 2010, he was promoted to Senior Manager of EPC Project Department of the newly established organization of Business Promotion & Execution Division. He successfully controlled Engineering (E) Procurement (P) and Construction (C) in many projects including hospital and solar power plant projects, always going along with the plant owner.
In April of 2015, he joined CM Plus Corporation. In April 2018, he was appointed to Executive Officer.
From July 2022, he was appointed to Fellow.
Advisors
Koichi Suzuki (Chairman and CEO, Internet Initiative Japan Inc.)
Born in 1946, Suzuki graduated from Waseda University with a degree in literature, and worked as a business consultant before establishing IIJ, Japan's first commercial internet provider. Suzuki has been playing a leading role in Japanese Internet and communications services and information technology.
Norikazu Eiki (Former Chairman of Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd.)
Eiki joined Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd. in 1994 after Nihon Ciba-Geigy K.K. He was appointed to a member the Board (Shiga Factory Director) in 1997, Managing Director in 2002, Executive Chairman in 2007 and Chairman of the Board in 2010. After retirement from the company in April 2014, he joined CM Plus Corporation as Adviser.
Founder
Tsunehiro Togashi (Founder & Group CEO)
Togashi joined a major engineering company in 1973. After 10 year service in the civil and building design department being engaged in design and construction supervision for both domestic and oversea energy plants, he was moved to Domestic Industrial Facility Project Division, and had worked there for 21 years. During this time, he served as project manager for various industrial facility to gain in-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing facilities, electronic and electric device factories, and data centers. He also managed many projects for foreign clients successfully including a research facility project in UK. In 2000, Togashi set up a new organization namely “Facility Management Department” so as to deliver projects with a strong focus on lifecycle costs of facility construction and operations. After retiring from Associate Director in June 2007, he founded CM Plus Corporation in August 2007.
Togashi worked as President, then appointed to Chairman & CEO of CM Plus Corporation in September 2015. In April 2018, he became Founder and Group CEO of CM Plus Group, and cum-Managing Director of CM Plus Singapore. Appointed as a director and adviser of CM Plus Japan from July 2019.
