Elizabeth Masamune

Elizabeth Masamune is Managing Director of @Asia Associates Japan, specializing in cross-cultural communication, organizational culture and diversity. She is based in Tokyo and practices mainly in Japan, with a broader focus on the Asia Pacific region. Elizabeth built her career as a senior executive with the Australian Trade Commission, the trade and investment promotion arm of the Australian Government. As a diplomat and trade envoy, she has spent more than 25 years living and working in the key Asian markets of Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and South Korea, in 2006 receiving the Public Service Medal from the Australian Government for her work in advancing the interests of Australian companies in Asian markets. A passionate advocate for improving opportunities for women in the workplace, she served as the first female Senior Trade Commissioner from Australia to both Korea and Japan. Elizabeth originally qualified as a simultaneous interpreter and translator of Japanese. She has also studied Indonesian, Korean, Vietnamese, French and Spanish. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds several directorships in addition to her advisory work. She is married to Japanese graphic designer Toshiaki Masamune.