[Speaker] Dr. KAREN TANAKA, ASAHI GLOBAL PROCUREMENT
[Date/Time] October 20th, 2025 Monday 17:00-18:00
[Venue] IDEC – Small Conference Room
[Title] Career Pathways in Sustainability
[About the Session]
With the call for sustainable and equitable public and private work systems, the career prospects and job market dynamics have become both intriguing and uncertain, demanding adaptability and agility from new and experienced candidates.
This career talk provides a unique opportunity and guidance to help students explore future work possibilities by offering a space to hear directly from an IDEC alumna, along with valuable information about her professional journey, which includes working in three different countries (Singapore, USA, and Brazil) and transitioning between various sectors. She will discuss skills that extend beyond technical and academic abilities and share lessons that have supported her throughout her career. This is an upskill session with open discussion and reflections that aims to support your career planning by connecting education and employment and shaping your vision for a fulfilling and impactful professional future.
[About the Speaker]
Dr Karen Tanaka is the Global Sustainability Lead for Climate at Asahi. She oversees work on decarbonizing the value chain, engaging with suppliers and other stakeholders, capacity building and training, and external communications. Her aim is to integrate the latest science into the daily decisions and strategy of a large corporation.
She has 22 years of experience, having worked at a diverse range of organizations, including corporations, NGOs, startups, and consultancies, covering various topics in sustainability. She holds a BA in International Relations from PUC SP (Brazil), an MSc in Development Science from Hiroshima University, and a PhD in Energy & Sustainability from the University of São Paulo (Brazil). She is a technical reviewer for the IPCC, a member of the Technical Dialogue of the Global Stocktake, a lecturer in carbon pricing and carbon markets, negotiated at COPs representing the private sector, curated sustainability strategies and products, and acts as a mentor in various associations such as TEDx Savassi, Climate Leaders, the BMW Foundation, and the League of Entrepreneurs.
