Lori Henderson MBE has been Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) since February 2011.

The mission of the BCCJ is to strengthen commercial ties between the UK and Japan. Representing the interests of BCCJ members – 220 companies - she liaises with a variety of public and private sector stakeholders, including the UK Government, European Business Council (EBC) and the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe (COBCOE).

After gaining her Master's degree in Mediaeval English from the University of St. Andrews, Lori took a leap of faith and moved to Kitakyushu in 2003.

In 2013, she was awarded an MBE in Queen Elizabeth’s 2013 New Years Honours List for services to post-earthquake reconstruction and to the British business community in Japan; she became a Permanent Resident in January 2015.

Lori is an active advocate for Diversity and Inclusion, workstyle innovation, and talent pool development, with a particular view towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics and the 2019 Rugby World Cup. She is leading the BCCJ’s “2020 Vision” project.
Her blog “2020 Mum in Tokyo” charts her journey though the maternity and paternity leave system in Japan. She is married with a 1-year old daughter.