AWLF Online Summit Vol.1｜Event Report

AWLF Online Summit Vol.1｜Event Report

Date: Friday, July 11, 2025

Asia Women Leaders Forum (AWLF) successfully hosted the first session of its brand-new online summit series on Friday, July 11, 2025.

This monthly dialogue-driven event serves as a “Third Place to Connect with Asian Women Leaders,” offering participants a space to connect across national, generational, and professional boundaries while learning from the real-life experiences and insights of inspiring women leaders working on the front lines of change.
Our inaugural session became a truly rich and meaningful evening, where thoughts and aspirations transcended roles and generations.

■ Guest Speaker: Ms. Tomoko Katsurayama

For this memorable first session, we had the honor of welcoming Ms. Tomoko Katsurayama, President & CEO of T.K. Associates and Professor at GLOBIS University, as our guest speaker.
Under the theme of “Achieving Fulfillment through Results and Satisfaction,” she shared profound insights drawn from her diverse global leadership career.

Ms. Katsurayama has led global expansions as CEO of local subsidiaries across Southeast Asia after holding leadership roles at Nike Japan, Amazon Japan, and a major international consulting firm. She is currently dedicated to developing the next generation of business leaders at GLOBIS University, Japan’s leading business school.

■ Highlights from the Talk

Throughout her talk, Ms. Katsurayama shared her personal stories and values, anchored by a core message of Fulfillment Thinking:
“Change how you see, change what you see.”

She spoke powerfully about the importance of decision-making based on the will to act, rather than on perceived limitations of what one can or cannot do.
Another resonant moment was her thought-provoking question:
“Are the challenges I face due to being a woman, or are they my own challenges as an individual?”
This encouraged participants to reflect deeply and revisit unconscious assumptions around gender and leadership.

■ Q&A and Dialogue Session

In the Q&A session, Ms. Katsurayama answered each question sincerely and thoroughly, drawing on her own experiences and practical approaches. Topics included:

How to harmonize career, partnership, family, and long-term vision
Using moments of uncertainty to ask important questions
What it means to truly “think outside the box”
How to stay grounded when energy is running low
How to increase the number of women leaders in Japan

In the latter half of the event, participants—including high school students, women leaders, and male leaders—exchanged ideas in a rich dialogue session. Together, they explored the concept of “fulfillment” from diverse perspectives.

■ Reflections from the Organizing Team

As a member of the organizing team, what left a particularly strong impression was Ms. Katsurayama’s sincere and continuous commitment to both physical and mental well-being.
That very approach, we felt, embodies what it means to live a truly powerful life.

Her determination to exceed expectations not just as a “female leader,” but as an individual—a Great Performer rather than merely a Good Performer—was incredibly empowering. Many attendees were moved by her openness in facing day-to-day challenges and embracing personal growth.

■ Gratitude and Next Session Announcement

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ms. Tomoko Katsurayama for her generous participation, and to all of you who joined the session.
It was your warm presence and thoughtful engagement that made this summit a special and hopeful space of connection.

We were also reminded of the importance of including male leaders in these conversations to foster genuine empowerment for women.

The next AWLF Online Summit will be held on Friday, August 8, 2025, from 19:00 to 20:30 JST.
We will welcome Mrs. Masako Perera, former First Lady of Sri Lanka, as our guest speaker. Please note that the session will be conducted in English. We warmly invite you to join us.

■ AWLF’s Vision

Under the banner of “One Team, One Asia,” AWLF is committed to nurturing 1 million women leaders across Asia by 2030.

We believe that the love and strength of 2 billion women can spark a virtuous cycle of happiness and possibility for 4 billion people across the region.
In 2026, AWLF plans to host a major international summit, gathering 333 Asian women leaders at the United Nations ESCAP Headquarters in Bangkok.
This online summit series represents a meaningful first step toward that milestone.