About the DENTSU SOKEN Center for Economic Security Research (DCER)
Integrating Intelligence and Technology from the Dentsu Group to Provide Comprehensive Support for Corporate Economic Security
In the field of economic security—including cyber defense—we go beyond open-source intelligence to leverage
human intelligence that is rarely accessible in Japan. With a foundation built on three core functions—think
tank research, strategic consulting, and security solutions—we are committed to supporting the sustainable
development of Japanese society and its enterprises.
Our Center integrates the diverse intelligence networks and global partnerships cultivated by the Dentsu Group
over decades, together with the advanced technology solutions developed and led by Dentsu Soken. As a
professional think tank, we provide a broad spectrum of specialized services aimed at enhancing corporate
resilience and contributing to the continued progress of Japanese society.
Executive Director
-
Shigeru Kitamura
Executive Director
Former Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat -
Mr. Kitamura joined the National Police Agency in 1980 after graduating from the Faculty of Law, the
University of Tokyo. He has served as Executive Secretary to the Prime Minister and as Director of
Cabinet Intelligence, and later became Secretary-General of the National Security Secretariat and
Special Advisor to the Cabinet. He established the economic unit within the Secretariat and advanced
Japan’s economic security policy. In December 2020, he received the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for
Distinguished Public Service. After retiring from government service in July 2021, he was appointed as a
member of the Expert Panel on Economic Security Legislation in November of the same year. He currently
heads Kitamura Economic Security.
Distinguished Fellow
-
Robert C. O’Brien
Distinguished Fellow
Former United States National Security Advisor
-
Served as the 27th Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs of the United States from
2019 to 2021.
Appointed as a member of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) during President Trump’s
second term.
-
John Lee
Distinguished Fellow
Former Senior National Security Advisor to the Australian Government
-
Dr. John Lee is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. As senior national security adviser to the
Australian conservative government from 2016-2018, he conceived and led the government’s approach to
foreign affairs including the significant hardening of policies towards China. He was appointed the
government’s principal adviser on the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper to guide the country’s external
policies over the next decade and beyond. One of the world’s foremost experts on the Chinese political
economy and the external policies of countries in the Indo-Pacific, he continues to advise political
and bureaucratic leaders in Australia and Japan at the highest levels. Dr. Lee is a prominent advocate
for the necessity of changes to the global trading and economic system and the importance of
encouraging reindustrialization in economies such as the United States and Australia. The author of
dozens of books and monographs, dozens of articles, and hundreds of opinion pieces in the world’s
leading newspapers, he has held professorships at the Australian National University and University of
Sydney. He obtained his Masters and Doctorate from the University of Oxford. He lives in Sydney,
Australia.
-
Hiroshi Igarashi
Distinguished Fellow
Representative Executive Officer, President & Global CEO at Dentsu Group
-
Joined Dentsu Inc. in 1984. After gaining experience in the sales division, appointed as Executive
Officer of the company in January 2017, and as President and CEO, Representative Executive Officer in
January 2020.
Since March 2022, has served as President and CEO, Representative Executive Officer of Dentsu Group
Inc. (current position since March 2023), strongly driving business transformation and advanced
management on a global scale.
