Who we are
IBA Japan Secretariat Staff
Laurent Depus, Secretary General
Laurent Depus took up his role of Secretary General of the International Bankers Association (IBA) Japan on 1 February 2024. Laurent is a Belgian national, with over three decades' experience in senior management roles in European, Anglo-Saxon and Japanese financial institutions. As a long-standing IBA member and partner, he has had a long experience of regulatory relations and advocacy with Japan's financial authorities and served as IBA Vice-Chairman until 2021.
Laurent is a Director of the Board of SMBC Trust Bank and concurrently serves as President of the European Business Council (EBC) in Japan since January 2024. He has worked in Luxembourg, UK, Singapore, and since 1988, Japan. He studied linguistics in Belgium, Spain, and the UK. He is a graduate of Institut Libre Marie Haps, University Catholique de Louvain (Belgium).
Iwao Toriumi, Senior Manager
Iwao Toriumi joined IBA Japan in May 2008 and is in charge of banking-related issues.
He previously served at the Bank of Japan for almost 20 years where he produced economic research and statistics, liaised with international financial organizations, and provided technical assistance to central banks in Asia. He was also seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (as an officer responsible for macro economic policies) and the Cabinet Office (as an economist).
He holds a BA in Political Science from Waseda University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University.
Atsushi Hirayama, Senior Manager
Atsushi Hirayama joined IBA Japan in September 2019 and is in charge of securities and capital markets.
He previously worked at Mitsui Trust and Banking, Japan Bankers Trust and more recently Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. where he was part of its legal department for 20 years, looking after various legal issues including cross border transactions.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from Waseda University, and a LL.M. from New York University School of Law.
Ken Atobe, Senior Manager
Ken Atobe joined IBA Japan in October 2025 and is responsible for the Asset Management Sector.
He has held roles across the investment management value chain, including global custody, investment fund structuring both domestic and offshore, operational outsourcing for middle and back offices, and consulting on regulatory, compliance and risk management. Most recently, he worked in investment product sourcing and distribution.
He holds a BA in Economics from Seikei University and an MBA from Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Tetsuya Okada, Manager
Tetsuya Okada joined IBA Japan on secondment from the Japanese Bankers Association (JBA) on 1 April 2025. As Manager, he supports the activities of the Banking, Securities, and Asset Management sectors. During his time at the JBA, Mr. Okada was responsible for overseeing Electronically Recorded Monetary Claims and later worked in the department handling interbank offered rate reforms prior to his assignment at IBA Japan.
Eri Inada, Finance & Administration Manager
Eri Inada joined IBA Japan in February 2021 and assumed the role of Finance & Administration Manager in March 2025. Before joining IBA Japan, she served as the assistant to the Head of Treasury and provided dealer support at a global financial company in Tokyo.
Akiko Itoh, Executive Assistant
Akiko Itoh joined IBA Japan in March 2025 as the Executive Assistant to the Secretary-General. She brings extensive experience from a career in foreign financial institutions, having served as an Executive Assistant to CEOs at various European and American banks and securities firms.
Derek Ngo, Marketing and Member Relations
Derek Ngo joined IBA Japan in June 2024 and is responsible for the seminar, webinar series, marketing and communications, and media management. He was an HR consultant in the pharmaceuticals industry before assuming the role of marketing and member relations of IBA Japan.