Kei Izawa currently resides in Boulder, Colorado, but his career and life’s work have been truly global.

Combining 10 years of service with the Japanese government in international trade with 14 years as a senior executive for General Motors Corporation, Izawa built a career defined by high-stakes negotiation. He was instrumental in negotiating and implementing many complex joint ventures, including the NUMMI project between GM and Toyota in California, the CAMI project between GM and Suzuki Motor in Canada, and the IBC project between GM and Isuzu in England.

He held key leadership roles at GM, including serving as Representative General Director of the Opel division in Japan (1991–1996) and his final position as Regional Sales Director of Light Commercial Vehicles and SUVs for Europe, based in Germany. He also managed the Opel Distribution Agreement negotiations with Yanase in Japan.

Parallel to his corporate career, Izawa has been an avid practitioner of Aikido for 56 years. A 7th-degree black belt, he is active in teaching the martial art globally. His leadership extended to the sport's highest levels, serving as General Secretary, Vice Chairman, and Chairman of the International Aikido Federation from 2008 to 2024.

Today, Izawa uses his unique synthesis of corporate strategy and martial arts philosophy to advise firms through various consulting projects. He is the author of two books available on Amazon: the award-winning "Balance in Motion" (2024) and "The Victory Paradox" (2025).

Izawa holds a degree in political science from Keio University in Tokyo and completed graduate studies in International Relations at Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He is fluent in Japanese, Spanish, and English.