Takashi Omori Appointed APEC Economic Committee Chair for 2009

Dr. Takashi Omori is to assume the role of Economic Committee Chair at APEC, as of 1 January 2009. His appointment became official at the third APEC Senior Officials' Meeting.

Omori is a Policy Advisor to the Japanese Cabinet Office and a member of the Statistical Commission of the Japanese Government. Previously, he served as Head of the Japanese Delegation to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Economic Advisor to the Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy and Vice President of the Economic and Social Research Institute in the Cabinet Office of Japan (2004-06).

Says Omori of the Economic Committee agenda, "The EC has been a strong proponent of structural reform as fundamental to the economic stability of the region. This year, the EC hosted the first ministerial level meeting, dedicated to structural reform and I would like to build on this foundation. Regulatory reform is key to the growth of business and entry to the global marketplace."

Omori earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Economics at the University of Oxford, UK and has published extensively on international economic issues since 1982.