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Merle Aiko Okawara

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Merle Aiko Okawara (大河原 愛子) (November 15, 1941-) is a Japanese American businesswoman. She has worked at the top of major companies like JC Foods, Avon Products, and Ebay.

Early life and education

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Okawara was born Merle Higa on November 15, 1941 in Honolulu, Hawaii.[1] Her father, Yetsuo Higa, was a businessman known for bringing Pepsi to Japan.[2] Ernest Higa is her brother.[2] She attended Punahou School, and when she was 15 years old she and her family moved to Japan.[2] She returned to the United States to attend Northwestern University, then went to Europe to study law at the University of Geneva.[3]

Career

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After graduating from the University of Geneva in 1964, Okawara returned to Japan and worked as an interpreter in French and English (her Japanese wasn't very strong at the time).[3] She had difficulty finding work as a lawyer, so she entered business. Her father and a Californian businessman were working to bring pizza to Japan, but Higa gave Merle the business for a year. The business steadily grew as Japanese people became more familiar with Western foods.[3] She got supermarket chains to sell pizza in their stores, and in 1970 she got pizza added to Royal Host [ja]'s menu.[4] During her time at JC Foods, she successfully grew the business to include six factories in multiple prefectures.[2][3] The company was also the first to be publicly listed by a woman in Japan.[2]

Okawara became the chairwoman of JC Foods, a director at Avon Products, and the president of several other food companies. She also served as the CEO of Ebay's Japanese branch.[2] She sits on the board of directors for several organizations and is also part of the business advisory council of UNOPS. She also won several awards.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "大河原 愛子 組織・役員 企業情報 株式会社パルコ". 2014-08-18. Archived from the original on 18 August 2014. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Wagner, Peter (March 8, 2000). "Japan business pioneer has Hawaii roots". archives.starbulletin.com. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  3. ^ a b c d e Stone, Scott (2002). Living legacy: outstanding Japanese women of the 20th century in Hawaii. Japanese Women's Society Foundation. pp. 92–93. ISBN 9780896101746.
  4. ^ "【トップの素顔】大河原愛子(8)日系3世、女性アントレプレナーの挑戦". SankeiBiz(サンケイビズ) (in Japanese). 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2022-09-04.