“Facing Your Roots to Bridge Finance and Social Contribution: A Leadership Journey Beginning with Leading Yourself.”

On January 28th, 2026, Shizenkan hosted Leadership Night* as part of its MBA program. This interactive lecture series invites leaders driving transformation to reflect on their life journeys and explore the essence of leadership through dialogue.

For this session, we welcomed Mr. Taira David Schafer, who leads the Philanthropy Advisory Service at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Moderated by Shizenkan Professor Patrick Newell, the event featured a deep dialogue on the essence of leadership, with student representatives joining the discussion in the second half.

Born to a German father and a Japanese mother who grew up on post A-bomb Hiroshima, Mr. Schaefer experienced a sense of alienation as a “minority” while growing up in Fukuoka. After moving to Germany and working in London, he built a stellar career at global financial institutions such as GE Capital and UBS. However, despite achieving financial independence, he revealed that he continuously held a fundamental question within himself: “What is the purpose of my life?”

A turning point came when he encountered the work of “Philanthropy Advisory” during his time at UBS. This role involves guiding high networth individuals to utilize wealth not merely for growing their assets, but in “meaningful ways” to solve social issues. Currently, at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, he acts as a bridge connecting donors’ social contribution intentions and channeling funds towards those addressing social issues in Japan, such as supporting economic independence of care leavers and youth substance abuse / suicide prevention.

During the lecture, Mr. Schaefer emphasized that “Leadership starts with leading yourself.” He explained that daring to take on difficult challenges that others avoid, setting yourself high goals, and accepting one’s own weaknesses and past struggles to transform them into strengths; this consistent action, or “Authenticity” was the source that generates trust and cooperation from those around you.

In the Q&A session during the second half, he openly shared his own hesitations regarding the balance between corporate profit logic and social contribution, as well as how to face failures in one’s career. Integrating financial expertise with a passion for social justice to carve out a unique path, Mr. Schaefer’s presence served as a powerful call to action, prompting each participating student to deeply reflect on the question: “What kind of leader do I want to be?”