2. KOBO CONFIDENTIALPAGE 2
Michael Tamblyn – President and CEO
Michael is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Rakuten Kobo. Driving growth, profitability and
international expansion in a fiercely competitive market, he combines a passion for reading with a
deep focus on the hardware and software experiences that can make a customer’s reading life better.
A passionate and engaging presenter and commentator, Michael speaks internationally on digital
media, publishing and mobile technology and has been featured in The New Yorker, Wired, Canadian
Business, National Post, Globe and Mail and The New York Times. Additionally, he oversees
Rakuten's other eReading businesses including OverDrive, the world leader in ebook services for
libraries, and Aquafadas, a world leader in interactive publishing. Michael has been a part of Rakuten
Kobo’s executive team since its inception in 2009, and previously held the role of Chief Content
Officer.
Prior to joining Kobo, Michael was the founding CEO of the supply chain agency, BookNet Canada
and co-founded Canada’s first online bookstore, Bookshelf.ca, purchased by Indigo Books & Music in
1998 to create Indigo.ca, where he served as VP of Online Operations.
Michael holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario.
3. KOBO CONFIDENTIALPAGE 3
Takahito “Taka” Aiki – Chairman
Takahito “Taka” Aiki is the Chairman at Rakuten Kobo, previously Chief Executive Officer, and brings
with him a wealth of experience to the role.
He began his career at Japanese telecom giant NTT before embarking on his first of two successful
stints at global management consultancy Bain & Company, where he was named Coach of the Year
and managed the Firm’s Project of the Year in 2006. Taka also spent two years at Tsutaya, Japan’s
largest chain of video rental shops and bookstores. There, he helmed corporate planning and
marketing for Tsutaya Online, where he led growth in online membership from two to five million
members.
In 2007, Taka joined Rakuten, Inc., where he was assigned to the company’s struggling telecoms
business, Fusion Communications, which was losing three billion JPY per year at the time. In 2009, he
was named CEO, where he executed a 180-degree turnaround in Fusion’s business, which is now a
reliable profit centre for Rakuten – generating two billion JPY per year in profit. In addition to leading
Fusion, Taka also managed six other Rakuten Group businesses, including Media and Marketing
Research. He is also a Rakuten, Inc. Managing Executive Officer.
Taka graduated from Cornell’s MBA program in 1999 and is an avid book lover and a big sports fan,
especially of the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles baseball team.
4. KOBO CONFIDENTIALPAGE 4
Trevor Hunter – CTO
Trevor is the Chief Technology Officer at Rakuten Kobo, and is responsible for the innovative
technology behind all facets of Kobo’s world-class eReading service. He oversees the engineering
practice that holds quality and innovation in high regard, while always keeping the key focus on what
customers want and need in a digital reading ecosystem. Previously, Trevor held the role of Enterprise
Architect at Rakuten Kobo, where he devised actionable strategies to support the company’s business
goals by employing best practices, while ensuring development and operational reliability for internet-
scale architectures.
Prior to joining Rakuten Kobo, Trevor held various roles at Infusion, where he grew his experience as
a trusted advisor through his work across a diverse set of verticals including retail, travel & hospitality,
and financial services.
Trevor holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Ulster.
5. KOBO CONFIDENTIALPAGE 5
Spencer Low – CSO & EVP, Acquisitions
Spencer is the Chief Strategy Officer & Executive Vice President, Acquisitions at Rakuten Kobo. He is
responsible for strategy development and cross-functional strategic alignment as the company
pursues growth and development in a rapidly changing industry. Drawing upon his broad strategy
experience across multiple industries and geographies, Spencer drives strategic business
development and the execution of synergies for Rakuten Kobo within the Rakuten group of
companies. In addition, he is responsible for strengthening and building the company’s relationships
with retail partners around the world to further drive sales of Kobo’s products.
Prior to joining Rakuten Kobo, Spencer spent nine years in strategy consulting with Bain & Company,
followed by leadership positions in strategy, business improvement and business development in
consumer goods and retail – most recently with the luxury retailer Holt Renfrew, which is part of the
Selfridges Group.
Spencer has international experience living and working in Canada, USA, Latin America, UK, France,
India, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. He speaks a variety of languages and holds
an MBA from the Ivey Business School and an MA in International Affairs from the Institut d’Etudes
Politiques de Paris.
6. KOBO CONFIDENTIALPAGE 6
Alan MacNevin – CMO & EVP
Alan is the Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at Rakuten Kobo, and is responsible
for brand, the customer lifecycle, customer loyalty, and oversees the Big Data and CRM organizations.
He has unparalleled knowledge about Rakuten Kobo’s customers, and focuses on the customer
relationship from acquisition to retention.
Alan also serves as Chief Strategy Officer of OverDrive, Inc. based in Cleveland, Ohio. OverDrive is
the world’s leader in ebook lending in partnership with more than 30,000 public libraries and schools.
Prior to joining Rakuten Kobo, he held marketing positions at Chapters Online, CBC (Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation), and Bell Mobility. Most recently, Alan served on the executive team at
Sirius Satellite Radio as VP, CRM, where he was also a founding member of the management team
for the Canadian organization.
7. KOBO CONFIDENTIALPAGE 7
Dan Budlovsky – EVP, Finance
As Rakuten Kobo’s Executive Vice President, Finance, Dan is responsible for keeping the company’s financial
house in order as Rakuten Kobo grows its market share and expands globally. He is responsible for setting
the financial strategy and overseeing the finance department’s activities, which include financial planning &
performance management; internal controls & compliance; and operational support for all areas of the
business. Since he joined Rakuten Kobo in its first year of operation, Dan has played a key role in the
achievement of many milestones, including the establishment of foundational system implementations during
the start-up phase; sell-side deal support throughout the Rakuten acquisition phase; and leading financial due
diligence initiatives in the course of closing several key strategic partnership agreements and acquisitions that
have proved pivotal in the company’s on-going hyper-growth initiatives.
Prior to joining Rakuten Kobo, Dan held several executive finance positions at growth-oriented technology
companies including: Novator eCommerce, PlateSpin, and Open Text where he contributed to strategic
decision-making and the establishment of foundational processes connected to the financial objectives. Prior
to his experience in the technology field, Dan worked at KPMG while attaining his professional accountancy
designation.
Dan holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University; he also holds his
Chartered Professional Accountancy designation.
8. KOBO CONFIDENTIALPAGE 8
Scott Cleaver – EVP, Supply Chain Management & Customer Care
Scott is the Executive Vice President, Supply Chain Management & Customer Care at Rakuten Kobo.
He is responsible for leading all elements of the global supply chain and operations, which include
forecasting, vendor management, inventory, cost management, distribution, and compliance. Utilizing
his supply chain experience, he established business processes specifically built to efficiently support
Rakuten Kobo’s global expansion and distribution needs, while improving flexibility and reducing costs.
Scott also oversees the company’s Customer Care organization, and is responsible for setting
strategies built to add value and increase customer loyalty to grow the bottom line.
Prior to joining Rakuten Kobo, Scott held senior supply chain management and operations positions at
Spin Master, where he managed large inventories worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year and
was instrumental in supporting significant revenue growth. He also worked at Celestica, where he held
a variety of roles and worked on top accounts such as Motorola, Sun Micro Systems, and Juniper.
Scott studied Business Marketing at Sheridan College.
9. KOBO CONFIDENTIALPAGE 9
Pieter Swinkels – EVP, Publisher Relations and Content
Pieter is the Executive Vice President, Publisher Relations and Content and is responsible for
managing Rakuten Kobo’s global publisher relations team for ebooks and magazines. In his role, he
oversees publisher relationships, acquisition, publisher operations and Kobo Writing Life, Kobo’s
independent publishing business.
Pieter joined Rakuten Kobo in 2011 and was formerly Vice President, Publisher Relations and
Merchandising for non-English territories.
Before joining the company, Pieter worked in the international publishing industry, most recently as
Publisher and Vice Director at De Bezige Bij (The Busy Bee) in Amsterdam. He holds an MA in English
Literature from the University of Amsterdam and MPhil in Anglo-Irish Literature from Trinity College,
Dublin.
10. KOBO CONFIDENTIALPAGE 10
Dave Anderson – EVP, Content Sales
Dave is the Executive Vice President, Content Sales at Rakuten Kobo. Managing a global network of
local merchandising and sales teams in almost 20 countries, he is responsible for growing revenue
and margin of the eBook business worldwide. He oversees merchandising, promotions and pricing as
well as content analytics, and works closely with the CRM and Big Data teams to optimize the
Rakuten Kobo offering, ensuring every customer finds the right book at the right price.
Dave joined Rakuten Kobo in 2011 and was formerly the Vice President, Publisher Relations and
Merchandising for English territories.
Before joining the company, Dave was a management consultant with Accenture where he focused on
retail operations and international market expansion. Prior to Accenture, he spent seven years with
Indigo Books & Music Inc. working in the areas of supply chain, inventory management and
assortment planning.
