Naohiko Yoikawa, former Representative Director of Zelen Holdings, and Yuichi Kawasaki, former Director of mixi, appointed as Senior Fellows

NetYear Group Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Ryuzo Hironaka; hereinafter: NetYear Group), which supports corporate marketing activities through the utilization of generative AI, will appoint Naohiko Yoikawa (former Representative Director and President of Zelen Holdings Inc.) and Yuichi Kawasaki (former Director of mixi Inc.) as Senior Fellows, effective July 1, 2026, to further accelerate initiatives for business transformation and new value creation centered on generative AI.

With the appointment of both individuals, the company will further strengthen its system for providing end-to-end support, from strategic planning for generative AI utilization to implementation and human resource development. By integrating the expertise of Yoikawa, who excels in business conceptualization, and Kawasaki, who possesses cutting-edge technical knowledge and an extensive investment network, we aim to achieve comprehensive promotion including the creation of new services and the implementation of generative AI, thereby innovating customer experiences and enhancing the value provided to client companies.

From left: Yuichi Kawasaki, CEO Ryuzo Hironaka, Naohiko Yoikawa

About the Establishment of the Fellow System

Purpose of Establishing the Fellow System The purpose is to deepen exploration towards solving future societal, economic, and corporate challenges through new collaboration between NetYear Group and highly specialized external professionals, and to widely return the results to society.

Key Points for Fellow System Appointments The Fellow System is categorized into Fellows and Senior Fellows, with Senior Fellows being individuals who have achieved outstanding results, particularly in academia, industry, and cutting-edge technology fields.

Expected Outcomes from Establishing the Fellow System NetYear Group and Fellows are expected to utilize their respective knowledge and achievements to realistically and concretely solve anticipated future challenges, and to widely publicize and implement these outcomes in society.

Main Roles to be Undertaken by Senior Fellows Yoikawa and Kawasaki

Strategy and implementation related to the utilization of generative AI in the marketing domain

Public relations activities to society and the industry regarding the above deliverables

Research and reporting on the latest technological trends and market information

Mentoring and human resource development for internal project members

Naohiko Yoikawa

Graduated from the Faculty of Letters, Keio University. Completed the Master's program and withdrew from the Doctoral program at the Graduate School of Commerce, Waseda University. After working at Dentsu, NetYear Group Inc., and McKinsey & Company, he served as Representative Director and President of Dentsu Consulting, Representative for Japan of Applied Predictive Technologies, and Head of Mastercard Advisors Japan Region, among other positions. He has supported the planning and execution of management strategies for startup companies, the development of growth strategies for large corporations, and the development of growth strategies for private equity fund investments. He has been a Visiting Professor at Waseda Business School since 2019 and President of Zelen Holdings Inc. since 2024 (retiring in 2026).

Yuichi Kawasaki

Born December 20, 1976. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics, Keio University in 1999. Joined Cisco Systems GK (now Cisco Systems LLC), then NetYear Group Inc., before joining Hatena Co., Ltd. in August 2004. Appointed Vice President and Director of the same company in December of that year. Founded kamado Inc. in February 2010 and became its Representative Director. Following the acquisition of kamado Inc. by mixi, Inc. in December 2012, he joined mixi, Inc. in January 2013 and became a Director in June of the same year. Appointed Executive Officer in charge of investment business at SmartNews, Inc. in August 2014. Angel investor since April 2024. Appointed Advisor for Generative AI Promotion Business in the President's Office at NetYear Group Inc. in June 2025.

【NetYear Group Inc. (TSE Growth: Securities Code 3622)】

NetYear Group supports innovative marketing utilizing generative AI. We provide support using generative AI in marketing consulting, service design, UX design, system development, and tool selection and implementation, responding to diverse and sophisticated business needs. With an approach that fuses "UX, Data, and Generative AI," we contribute to our clients' businesses by creating new business opportunities, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening customer engagement.

Corporate Site: https://www.netyear.net

【Contact for Inquiries】

NetYear Group Inc.

Contact: Yamato

TEL: 03-6369-0500

MAIL: [email protected]