About Us
Board of Directors
Ying Luo, PhD
Director, Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO, Executive Committee Member

Dr. Luo completed his undergraduate education at Peking Union Medical College (Peking University’s Premedicine) in 1982 and received his doctorate in biomedical sciences from the University of Connecticut Health Center in 1991. During 1993, he joined the University of California, San Francisco as a postdoctoral fellow studying HIV gene regulation. Prior to Shanghai Genomics Dr. Luo gained experience at various biotech firms, including Aviron, Clonetech, and served as the senior director of Genomics and Target Discovery at Rigel Pharmaceuticals. He is currently President and CEO of GNI Group and General Manager of Shanghai Genomics. Dr Luo’s research was in the field of protein-protein interactions in cancer and inflammation signaling pathways. In the last twenty years, Dr. Luo has authored more than 35 research publications in top scientific journals. His concurrent posts include Chairman of the Board of Shanghai Genomics, Inc., Beijing Continent Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., GNI Hong Kong Limited, and Cullgen (Shanghai), Inc., Director of GNI USA, Inc. and Berkeley Advanced Biomaterials LLC, Chairman and Director of Cullgen Inc. etc.
Kan-ichiro (Ken) Suzuki, Ph.D.
Director, Executive Officer, CFO, Executive Committee Member

After more than 20 years of experience in investment research and management consulting at Nomura Research Institute (NRI), Professor Suzuki played a major role in the development of the GNI Group as a founding member of Gene Networks, Inc (GNI), the predecessor of GNI. Since 2009, as a professor at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, he has been conducting research on leadership, organizational functions, international management, ESG management, etc., and has published numerous academic papers and books. He is an emeritus professor at the university. He graduated from Waseda University Faculty of Political Science and Economics and received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in the United States and a Ph.D. from Waseda University Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies. He was also a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in the United States.
Thomas Eastling
Director, Executive Committee Member

Thomas Eastling concurrently serves as Chief Financial Officer of Cullgen Inc. in San Diego. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of the GNI Group from 2013 to 2021. He has over 35 years’ experience in global finance, M&A and executive management with senior postings in New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Mr. Eastling started on Wall Street at Nikko Securities Co. International, Inc., rising to the position of Senior Vice President & General Manager of the Investment Banking and Syndicate Divisions. In the late 1990’s, he moved to Japan as Company Representative for Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. and subsequently worked as Managing Director for Softbank Corp. In 2009 he relocated to Hong Kong with American Appraisal where he served as Director of the firm’s Transaction Advisory Services in Asia. Mr. Eastling has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and a Masters from the American Graduate School of International Management. He speaks Japanese and is pursuing Mandarin.
Hideaki Sashiwa
External Director

After graduating from Waseda University with a degree in Commerce, Hideaki Sashiwa has worked with major securities companies including Daiwa Securities Co.Ltd, Kleinwort Benson and Goldman Sachs where he cultivated his specialized knowledge about finance and investment. He is currently the President of Nippon Concierge Co., Ltd. and Representative Director and Vice-President of GI Capital Securities Ltd.
Kanako Kikuchi
External Director

Over 20 years of leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She has held business and strategic leadership positions at multiple multinational pharmaceutical companies in Japan and the United States. Prior to her current position, she served as President of the Japanese subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline plc. In May 2018, she assumed the position of Representative Director and President of UCB Japan Co., Ltd., the Japanese subsidiary of UCB S.A. in Belgium. Board of Director of EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) Japan Advisor for Economic Diplomacy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Kingdom of Belgium Bachelor of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University / Pharmacist
Sekitani Kazuki
External Director

After graduating from Tokyo University with a degree in Economics, Kazuki Sekitani worked for both domestic and multinational companies, leading various business areas such as Corporate Planning, Organization and Human Resource Strategy, M&A/PMI, Operation, and Change Management in the healthcare, financial, and IT industries. In the healthcare industry, he held executive roles at Kaken Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd and EPS Holdings Inc. (current). At Kaken, he served as Managing Director and Board member, leading R&D of new drugs and licensing in and out. At EPS, a leading company in the Contract Research Organization industry, he held various senior executive positions such as Corporate Planning and Administration. He currently holds the Vice Chairman position in charge of Organization and Human Resources. Previously, he worked for GE Capital and Sun Microsystems as Executive Director, and served as President (Country Leader) at Met Life Direct in Japan.
Ryosuke Matsui
External Director

Ryosuke Matsui was the founder CEO of M.E.Movement Inc in 2002, and in 2005 began working at the Tokyo branch of Fidelity international, one of the largest asset management company in the world, as a dedicated analyst focused in mid to small capital companies. Managing small cap sector fund in 2009, and pilot fund from 2011, became the portfolio/fund manager from 2013.Until the departure in May 2022, has experienced more than 11,000 meetings with founders, management teams and IR personals in diversified industries, sectors and business models. Having confronted historic moments, politics, policies, economic cycles and boom-bust of companies, have built the insights of what factors have effects on stock prices and investors. Currently works as the representative of The Ranma Investment Inc