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PRESS RELEASE

June 30, 2023

Second Harvest Japan Appoints Hitomi Yokote as New CEO

Second Harvest Japan, Japan’s first food bank (Headquarters: Taito-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as 2hj) today announces that Hitomi Yokote has been appointed as its new chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2023. Charles McJilton, the current CEO continues to serve as Chairman of Alliance of Japan Foodbanks and Research Fellow of Second Harvest Asia.

With the mission of “Working with others to create a food safety-net so everyone can eat”, 2hj has been supporting to open food pantries, and the number of food pantries continues to increase steadily in Tokyo, Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures, which are the main fields of our activities. Due to various social phenomena such as infectious diseases, prices’ hike of daily commodities, natural disasters and etc.., it is expected that the demand for food support will be still high all over the country. 2hj continues to work to establish a food safety-net through collaboration with various stakeholders in Japan.

 

Comment of Hitomi Yokote

I am pleased to announce my appointment as CEO of Second Harvest Japan. I have been entrusted with the important task of taking this precious food bank, which the founder and the colleagues have built over the past 20 years, to a new stage, looking ahead to the next 20 years. Together with my wonderful colleagues, I will promote 2hj’s mission “Food for all people” by utilizing my experience and knowledge in the private sector, NPOs, and institutions of higher education. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with you.

 

Profile of Hitomi Yokote

Graduated from Sophia University, Faculty of Foreign Languages. Graduated from Keio University, Graduate School of Business Administration (MBA).
Worked for Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney, Sony Corporation, ToysRus Japan as Corporate Officer, Japan Association for the United Nations World Food Programme as Executive Officer, and venture companies. From 2018 to 2023 March she worked at Service-Learning Center, International Christian University. She is currently an outside director of Moriroku Holdings, a board of trustee of Asian Rural Institute, and a board member of NPO Center for International Capacity Building (ICB).

 

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For press inquiries:　2hj PR/ Kumie Wama （070-2251-8859、kwama @2hj.org）