One of Wexford’s leading business figures, Karl Fitzpatrick of Chevron College, is among a group of 140 Irish entrepreneurs embarking on a high-level trade and learning mission to Japan as part of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ CEO Retreat.
Running from Monday, 26 May to Saturday, 31 May, the retreat is Ireland’s largest unofficial trade mission and will take participants across Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, blending business insight, leadership development, and cultural exchange
With visits planned to SoftBank HQ, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and Ireland House Tokyo, the retreat offers entrepreneurs direct access to some of Japan’s most influential business leaders, including:
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Yasuyuki Imai, Director & Chairman of SoftBank Corporation
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Kazuhito Hadano, CEO of Sony Ventures Corporation
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Executives from WPP, Yamaha Motors, and Julius Baer International
Delegates will also experience a ‘Mini MBA’ at Hitotsubashi University, led by top Japanese professors, before concluding the mission with a visit to the World Expo in Osaka.
“Japan offers immense potential in innovation, technology, and manufacturing,” said Roger Wallace, EY’s Partner Lead. “This retreat is a unique chance for Irish entrepreneurs to explore new opportunities and form global partnerships.”
Japan is the fourth-largest economy in the world and Ireland’s second-largest trading partner in Asia-Pacific. While some entrepreneurs on the retreat already operate in Japan, others are using the trip to explore market entry opportunities.
Karl Fitzpatrick’s inclusion reflects the calibre of this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ finalists, who represent a diverse range of sectors from technology and education to healthcare, engineering, and food and drink.
The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ community has grown to include over 650 alumni, with 75% of them conducting business with each other. Collectively, they generate over €25 billion in revenue and employ more than 250,000 people across Ireland.
The programme is supported by Julius Baer International, Enterprise Ireland, and Invest Northern Ireland, and is one of the most prestigious platforms for entrepreneurial recognition in Ireland.
To learn more about the 2025 finalists or the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme, visit www.eoy.ie.
