Yappli Announces Appointment of New Non-Executive Directors to Strengthen Management Structure

Yappli, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, Representative Director and CEO: Yasubumi Ihara, hereinafter “Yappli, Inc.”), a company providing a no-code mobile app platform Yappli, announced that Kosuke Honma and Naoko Okumoto have been newly appointed as Non-Executive Directors, effective March 28, 2024.  

Kosuke Honma, appointed as Non-Executive Director (effective March 28, 2024) 

■Profile
Kosuke Honma, born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1968, graduated from Waseda University and began his career at Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. After working as a consultant, he participated in the founding of Sportsnavi (now Y’s Sports), which was later acquired by Yahoo. Following the acquisition in 2002, Honma primarily served as a producer for Yahoo Sports. In 2012, he became the Head of the People Development Group in the President's Office at Yahoo Japan Cooperation and was appointed a Corporate Officer in 2014. He has led various HR system reforms and actively engaged both internally and externally as a strategic HR professional.
In 2014, Honma was awarded the Best HR Award (as an individual) by Nihon no jinjibu, one of Japan's largest HR portals. He holds an MBA from Kobe University and completed a Master’s Program in Educational Counseling and Physical Education Methodology at the University of Tsukuba Graduate School.
Honma is also the author of several books, including "Yahoo's 1-on-1" (Diamond, Inc.) and "90% of Overtime is Unnecessary" (Kobunsha Shinsho).

■Remarks on appointment
As the newly appointed Non-Executive Director, I am honored to join Yappli's esteemed team. Having known the founding members since their time at Yahoo, I have closely followed their impressive work. I am grateful to Mr. Ihara for this opportunity and am eager to contribute to Yappli's success. Leveraging my expertise in "people-centered management," I look forward to supporting the company and its stakeholders in meaningful ways.

Naoko Okumoto, appointed as Non-Executive Director (effective March 28, 2024) 

■Profile
Naoko Okumoto, completed her master's degree at Boston University Graduate School, then moved to Silicon Valley and joined Microsoft in the United States. In 2003, she transitioned to Yahoo's U.S. headquarters, where she served as Vice President overseeing joint ventures.
In 2017, Okumoto ventured into entrepreneurship and founded Amber Bridge Partners, an advisory firm specializing in business development between Japan and the United States. She has served as a Managing Director for Mistletoe USA, led by Taizo Son, and as an Executive Advisor for Z Corporation under the leadership of Manabu Miyasaka (currently Deputy Governor of Tokyo). Okumoto has been instrumental in shaping business strategy, business development, and product development for numerous companies across Japan and the U.S.
In 2021, she established Niremia Collective, a venture capital (VC) fund focused on well-being technology, and has been actively investing, primarily in Silicon Valley. Okumoto also holds several key positions, including Non-Executive Director at S4 Capital Plc in the UK and Advisory Board member of Transformative Technology Lab, a non-profit organization.

■Remarks on appointment
I am greatly honored to join Yappli, Inc. as a Non-Executive Director, a company dedicated to the mission of “Making digital transformation easier.” Drawing upon my extensive experience in business innovation within the IT industry based in Silicon Valley and my expertise in cutting-edge technology focused on well-being, I am committed to contributing to Yappli's growth and enhancing corporate value from diverse perspectives. Yappli's vision of creating a better society through technology resonates with me, and I am eager to support the company in achieving its objectives.

■ About Yappli（https://yapp.li/)
Yappli is an app platform that provides no-code (programming-free) mobile app development, operation and analysis. More than 700 companies have used Yappli to address issues across a wide range of industries, from marketing support for stores and e-commerce, to internal DX (Digital Transformation) to renew communication via mobile within the company and with business partners, to back office and school support.

■ Yappli, Inc. (https://yappli.co.jp/)
Headquarters: 41F Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower, 3 Chome-2-1 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-6241
Area offices: 8F Grand Front Osaka North Building (Osaka), WeWork Daimyo (Fukuoka)
Representative Director and CEO: Yasubumi Ihara
Business description: Development and provision of mobile app platform Yappli, Yappli CRM and Yappli UNITE

【CONTACT】
Yappli, Inc. PR department  Honya 
MAIL：pr@yappli.co.jp 
TEL：050-1752-1576