Meet our faculty

Jesper joined Hitotsubashi ICS in 2026. Prior to rejoining ICS, he spent eight years at Waseda University's School of Commerce, where he served most recently as Professor of Management and Curriculum Director of the Global Management Program (GMP). He began his academic career at Hitotsubashi, holding positions as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor in both the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy (ICS) and the Graduate School of Commerce and Management from 2011 to 2018. Before entering academia, Jesper worked as an equity research analyst at Deutsche Securities in Tokyo.

Jesper's research sits at the intersection of international business strategy and institutional theory. His work examines how identity, legitimacy, and nationalist sentiment shape the strategies of multinational enterprises — with a particular focus on Japanese firms operating in global markets and foreign firms navigating the Japanese business environment. His research has appeared in leading journals including the Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, and Organization Studies, and he has contributed chapters to several major handbooks on Japanese business and the global economy. He currently serves as Associate Editor of the Global Strategy Journal and is an active reviewer for the Academy of Management Review and Journal of International Business Studies, having received best reviewer recognition from both journals on multiple occasions.

In addition to his scholarly work, Jesper is actively engaged in executive education, developing and delivering programs on geopolitics and global business strategy for major Japanese corporations. He is also affiliated as a researcher with the European Institute of Japanese Studies at Stockholm School of Economics.

Jesper received his MSc in International Economics and his Ph.D. in Business Administration (International Management) from the Institute of International Business at Stockholm School of Economics. His doctoral dissertation received the Oscar Sillén Prize for Sweden's Outstanding Dissertation in Business Administration, the Richard D. Farmer Best Dissertation Award from the Academy of International Business, and the Gunnar Hedlund Award for Best Dissertation in International Business from EIBA.