Anne Smith is President and Representative Director of Polaris GK. With over 10 years of experience in health policy and government affairs in Japan, Anne launched Polaris GK in 2024 to support the healthcare industry achieve successes that bring tangible benefits to patients, providers, and care givers. Her experience includes serving as Government Affairs Director at Stryker Japan, where she created the GA function and led initiatives that both improved access and drove business results. She has also served as Vice Chair of the ACCJ Healthcare Committee, a Working Group member of the Digital Health Committee at the American Medical Device and Diagnostics Manufacturers’ Association (AMDD), and an active member of the Digital Health Committee at APACMed. Prior to Stryker, Anne held roles at Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), the Global Health Policy Department at the University of Tokyo, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ). She has also served as a member of the MHLW’s Global Health Working Group and continues to serve as an HGPI Fellow. Anne has a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Born in Tokyo and raised in Dallas, Anne started her career over 20 years ago in social work. She continues to strive to have a positive impact through her work at Polaris GK.

Kuniko Haga is Advisor at Polaris GK. Kuniko is a registered nurse in both the US and Japan. Following over 25 years working in hospitals and home health in the United States, Kuniko returned to Japan in 2011. Since her return, she has focused on applying her experience and knowledge to improving healthcare in Japan. She previously served as Associate Professor at Tokyo University of Information Sciences School of Nursing. She is currently a visiting professor and the Head of the Center for Future Nursing Research at Kaetsu University in Tokyo. Kuniko has a Master of Nursing degree from Aomori University of Health and Welfare’s Graduate School of Health Sciences. She continues to participate in academic research related to quality measures in nursing and home care in Japan.