Takeshi Okamoto
Takeshi Okamoto is Managing Director, Chairperson & Chief Executive Officer of SMBC MANUBANK. He joined the bank in May 2025.
Prior to his current responsibility, Mr. Okamoto served as General Manager of the SMBC Canada Office from April 2022 to April 2025 after serving as General Manager of various departments including Sustainable Business Promotion, Financial Solution, and Growth Industry Cluster from January 2019 to March of 2022.
Mr. Okamoto joined SMBC’s predecessor bank, the former Sumitomo Bank, in 1994 as a relationship manager for various Japanese companies at domestic branches of SMBC in Tokyo. In 1997 Mr. Okamoto obtained his first overseas assignment in London, where he supported various business opportunities as a relationship manager of multiple Japanese companies based in the UK and other European companies.
In 2004, he returned to Tokyo as a relationship manager serving one of the largest Japanese trading companies. Mr. Okamoto specialized in building lasting client relationships by meeting their diverse banking needs for corporate loans, foreign exchange, deposits, and structured finance products.
For his second overseas assignment, Mr. Okamoto was appointed as Head of Japanese Corporate Banking in SMBC Singapore Branch from November 2011 to November 2013, then a Joint General Manager at Planning Department, Asia Pacific Division from November 2013 to December 2018. As part of the Planning Department, he was responsible for managing the overall business strategy, budget, and corporate planning for the entire SMBC Asia Pacific Branch.
With more than a decade of global finance experience, Mr. Okamoto has developed strong global leadership skills and management expertise.
Mr. Okamoto graduated from the University of Tokyo with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1994. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and is an avid supporter of the Premier League’s Arsenal FC soccer team.