Shinichi Ata

Mr. Ata started his career at AIWA Co., Ltd. as a new graduate in 1982. 1982 was a transformative year in which more than 20 audio manufacturers worldwide simultaneously launched the world’s first CD players globally in October, and he was responsible for their presentation.

Since then, as a product manager for digital audio and as the presenter of the world’s first DAT (Digital Audio Tape-recorder) in 1987, he provided commentary on the future potential of digital technology through TV news, newspapers, and magazines, pioneering the market.

Thereafter, he joined Microsoft Japan in 1987. He served as head of marketing for application products and Windows, was appointed Director in 1996, Managing Director in 1998, and President and Representative Director in 2000, driving the company’s growth.

After that, he joined SoftBank BB in 2003 and led acquisitions, including fixed-line telecommunications companies (f.k.a. Japan Telecom) and mobile telecommunications companies (f.k.a. Vodafone). He was subsequently appointed as Senior Managing Director. In 2012, he assumed the position of President and Representative Director of SoftBank Technology, where he expanded the workforce from approx. 300 to 1,500 employees and achieved stock price growth by over 10x under the banner of “Achieving Significant Growth.” He stepped down in March 2026.

His career to date has spanned an era of significant information technology transformation, during which analog records, long the mainstream format, were replaced by CDs in merely five years; personal computers, previously operable only in English, penetrated offices and households through the development of GUI (Graphical User Interface) and enabled global connectivity via the Internet; and smartphones, SNS, and electronic money became essential infrastructure in people’s daily lives. He has been deeply involved in these information technology transformations.

Moreover, at this very moment, information technology is transitioning from search-based to answer-demanding capabilities through the introduction of AI, which will connect with robotics, automotive, healthcare, and food industries to realize a future that supports people’s lives in the real world. Creators, who envision this future and materialize people’s desires, will shape the future ahead.

He believes his role is to connect with such individuals, discuss and forecast the potential for significant transformation, and contribute to future society.