Luis Kasuga

President & CEO

Luis Kasuga is a seasoned professional in the direct selling industry. He began his career as an independent distributor in 1990, then joined Nikken in 1994 as a multilingual translation assistant. He served in various roles until 2004 when he was appointed Managing Director of Latin America. In 2021, he assumed the role of President and CEO of Nikken International.

 

Passionate about the direct selling model and human development, Luis believes they provide the ideal platform for acquiring business management skills. He is committed to preserving the Nikken legacy and dedicated to the support and service of individuals seeking a better future in every aspect of the 5 Pillars of Wellness.

 

Luis envisions the future of Nikken as a leader in the Wellness Industry. This vision is built on co-creation, collaborative growth, empowering individuals and teams, continuous learning, adaptation, and thriving as a united global community in an ever-evolving world.

 

 

 

Franck Leroy

Chief Operating Officer - COO

As COO, Franck is committed to serving the Nikken Global Wellness Community by ensuring that every operational decision is aligned with the Nikken vision of service and the 5 Pillars of Wellness. Bilingual and bicultural, Franck began his Nikken journey in 1999. From being the primary source of support for the French market to leading the Customer Service department and training staff on operational procedures, Franck has diversified and collaborated with IT on system development, incentive designs and implementation. He has proven to be an essential leader and team member in facilitating the evolution of Nikken as an eco-sensitive company. Franck holds a Master’s degree in Languages and Civilization and has done doctoral studies in Economics.

 

 

Alejandra Tsutsumi

Business Development Manager—Global Marketing Project

Born in Canada, Alejandra ('Ale') was brought up in Mexico with Japanese grandparents. Her life was diverse since day one. She is a marketing passionista with more than 20 years of experience in international business, sales strategies, and working with some of the most well-known brands in North America. Ale is also a Six Sigma certified Black Belt in Sales & Marketing processes to improve ROI and budget efficiency.

With her proven track record of implementing innovative marketing strategies, driving revenue growth, and extensive experience in the business domain, Ale is the ideal person to lead the Global Marketing Project. She will help ensure that the Nikken brand's image is established and recognizable worldwide.

 

Jeff Isom

Director of Sales and Training

Before joining the executive staff, Jeff Isom was already a significant contributor to the success of the Nikken legacy. As a sought-after personal development trainer, he has successfully helped thousands of entrepreneurs and Nikken business builders to discover their potential since 1999. An internationally renowned motivational speaker, trainer and leadership coach for more than 30 years, Jeff has met three U.S. presidents, worked as a professional film producer and director, traveled to 151 countries, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University where he also served as part-time faculty. He is working on a Masters of Science in Management and Leadership to update his knowledge and skills for his current role. Combining his talents, passion and unique experiences, Jeff’s dynamic brand of leadership is an asset to his role as Nikken Director of Sales and Training.

 

Gustavo Gomez

Managing Director of Nikken Latin America

Gustavo Gomez joined Nikken as Country Manager of Colombia in 2003. He was promoted to Commercial Director of Latin America in 2006. He has more than 25 years of professional experience in the direct sales and network marketing industries and held positions in operations, logistics, commerce and executive management. With his vast knowledge, Gustavo has helped develop commercial strategies and strong brand positioning to generate profits. His previous career as an Industrial Engineer is reflected in his work to optimize Nikken Latin American processes and systems.

 

Gustavo has worked in diverse marketplaces, including Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru and the United States. He has successfully opened new markets, designed field strategies to increase business expansion and helped to create incentives, training programs, compensation plans and advanced recruitment.

 

Carlos Cedillo

Chief Technology Officer – CTO

Carlos is committed to helping Nikken develop its technology to focus on the Global Wellness Community. Prior to joining Nikken in 2001, Carlos worked in the data analysis department of one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. In charge of IT operations for Nikken Mexico and Central America, he participated in the market openings of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Carlos led one of the first implementations of the ERP SAP Business One for a Direct Selling company in 2005. In 2018, he collaborated with every department as the team leader on the major undertaking of consolidating Nikken systems worldwide. Carlos holds a BS in Computer Science and an MS in Project Planning & Direction, with a focus on ExO methodology.

 

 

Jane Shima

Customer Service Manager, North America

Jane joined Nikken in 2003 as a representative in the Customer Service Department and was promoted to Team Leader in 2007. Jane learned early on to focus on listening, problem-solving and organization when she worked in customer service at Disneyland while attending college. She continued to use those skills after graduation when she worked for a tech company and assisted outside sales representatives with timely information to close sales. With her many years of experience and her invaluable understanding of Nikken, the Consultants and the customer base, Jane is the consummate Customer Services Manager. Jane holds a BA in International Business from CA State Fullerton and lives with her husband and two daughters.

 

 

Georgina Challis

Head of Marketing

Georgina’s background is rich in marketing. Her passion and experience lie in the wellbeing and beauty industries – a perfect fit for her role with Nikken. She has served over 16 years in the direct marketing industry for globally renowned companies, plus a period of time for one of the UK’s leading multichannel retailers. She is a creative and responsive, customer-focused and commercially minded marketer with a wealth of experience in various aspects of the business. Her educational background includes a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and management qualifications from the Institute of Management.

 

 

Andy Yamvinij

Information Technology Manager

Andy has worked in virtually every aspect of IT at Nikken, including logistics and application analyses, web and software development, system integration testing, and network and UNIX administration. In the last two decades, Andy has migrated the ERP system and helped design and execute the company’s global technology advancements, as well as playing an integral part in the Nikken infrastructure upgrades. Andy holds a BS degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine and holds multiple certifications.

 

 

David Balzer

Nikken Technical Advisor

Dave combines his knowledge of science, technology and marketing to be a dynamic speaker, educator and product guru. He has a BASc in Chemistry but is articulate in all things related to science, while his MBA in Marketing equips him with business acumen. His association with Nikken began decades ago when he met the founder and felt a profound connection. As a product consultant, Dave has been instrumental in the research and development of many cutting-edge Nikken products. His knowledge on the benefits that Nikken products bring to the pursuit of Active Wellness is unparalleled.

 

 

Dr. Ata Sharif

Chief Science Officer

After completing his doctorate in medicine, and starting his medical training in emergency medicine, Dr. Ata Sharif realized his first passion was clinical research. He has served as the lead project scientist for the Department of Surgery at the Beckman Laser Institute at the University of California, Irvine for the last seven years. During that time, he completed his MBA at UCI with the goal of utilizing his business acumen to improve the healthcare industry. Dr. Sharif has a strong belief in evidence-based research to support alternative and complementary medicine.