Philip Howard is co-founder of the GR Group, and has worked at the intersection between government and business for more than 20 years.  He is a former British diplomat, serving with the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office for nine years, during which he specialised in Asian affairs. 

Prior to co-founding the GR Group, Philip was responsible for developing the Japan practice of the premier global strategy intelligence firm, spending five years advising the top executives at many of Japan’s largest corporations and financial institutions on international business development and M&A.  Philip has a degree in economics from Durham University, an MBA from INSEAD in France and Singapore, and speaks fluent Japanese and English.