Kenji Kitatani, Ph.D.

Professor and Director
Institute for Contents & Technology Integration
Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Toranomon Graduate School

Japanese

Dr. Kenji Kitatani is a leading global media and entertainment business expert with substantial corporate experience and academic expertise.

Dr. Kitatani is Professor of Tokyo Toranomon Graduate School and Director of Institute for Contents and Technology Integration at Kanazawa Institute of Technology since 2010. Dr. Kitatani has been the Lester Smith Distinguished Professor of Media Management at The Edward Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University since 2005 (which will be completed in May, 2010) and is a trustee of the Washington State University Foundation, ln addition, Dr.Kitatani serves as senior advisor to Asian Media information and Communication Center in Singapore as well as to the Sports and Entertainment Network, the Graduate School of Business, Indiana University-Bloomington, He is also on the board of International Academy of Television Arts and Science Foundation (The Emmy Organization) and United Nation's NPO, PCI-Media Impact, Inc., which operates health education programs via radio broadcasting in the developing nations.

Dr. Kitatani joined Sony Corporation in October 1999 as Executive Strategist, Media Content, Broadcasting and Communications. ln May 2001, Dr. Kitatani was appointed Executive Officer of Sony Corporation and Executive Vice President, Business Planning, Sony Corporation of America in New York. ln the dual positions, he helped develop and coordinate the business relationships for Sony's operating units, including Sony Electronics Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Picture Entertainment, and Sony Corporation. Dr.Kitatani was in charge of corporate marketing and business development, which included helping coordinate the interests of Sony Corporation and the U.S. operating companies for events such as the PGA Sony Open in Hawaii and Sony Dream World in Paris. Dr. Kitatani also spearheaded the $600 million consolidation of media buying and planning activities for Sony's U.S. and Canadian operating Companies in 2002. In August 2005, he returned to Tokyo and served as Executive Advisor until April 2007.

From 1991 to 2003, Dr. Kitatani served on the Board of Directors of Tokyo Dome Corporation, Japan's leading leisure and entertainment conglomerate, He was also President of Tokyo Dome Enterprises Corporation based in New York. At Tokyo Dome, Dr. Kitatani was responsible for promoting a variety of sports events, including the annual NFL preseason game series, and a number of concerts featuring talent such as the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Guns & Roses, M.C. Hummer, Paul Simon and Madonna.
His negotiation with the PGA Tour made Tokyo Dome Corporation the sole licensee of official Tournament Players Championship golf courses in Japan. Prior to joining Sony Corporation, Dr. Kitatani worked for Tokyo Broadcasting System as Counsel on International Affairs and President of TBS Media Research Institute concurrently with his managerial responsibilities at Tokyo Dome. He negotiated contracts and coordinated coverage for many major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Indianapolis 500, World Figure Skating Championships, U.S. Open Tennis, and the World Volleyball Championships. Dr. Kitatani also established and managed the Hollywood film and Broadway musical investment fund, CST, with Tokyo Broadcasting System, ltochu Corporation, and Suntory Co., Ltd. between 1987 and 1994.
ln November 2006, "Terje" - an outdoor multi-media performance based on Henrik lbsen's poem of the same name - took place in Yokohama, Japan. Dr.Kitatani had executive produced this major collaborative event with the producer, Thomas Hoegh, CEO, Arts Alliance Media (UK), for the Kingdom of Norway, with a translated production utilizing the most advanced form of digital cinema projection technology with live performers.

His 1991 book, American CATV, is regarded as essential reading for media professionals in Japan. In June 2007, his most recent book Live Entertainment Business was published in Japan. He had also served as an outside board director for PIA Corporation, the largest ticketing service in Japan, and an executive advisor on digital signage for Lawson, lnc, which operates more than 5,000 convenience stores in Asia from 2006 to 2009. He has been a corporate auditor for Broadmedia Corporation, a publicly traded film and television program distributor and broadband service provider since June 2010. Dr.Kitatani holds MA (1978) and Ph.D.(1981) in Communications Policy, Management and Law from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.