Nakazawa is the first international student graduate from the Department of Marketing to be inducted into the Western Michigan University Alumni Marketing Hall of Fame.
He graduated with a B.A. from Keio University, Tokyo, in addition to his two degrees from WMU. His career spans close to 40 years of professional business experience in the U.S and globally.
Nakazawa joined Stryker in 1977. From 1979 to 1986 he served as sales director, Japan and Korea, in the Stryker international representative office. In 1986, he was appointed as vice president and representative director of Stryker, Japan, and later as its executive vice president.
From 1992 to 1999, he held various positions at Pfizer medical technology group serving as president, Schneider, Japan, and as senior vice president and general manager of the medical technology group.
In 1999, he accepted the position of president and representative director, Stryker, Japan, and served in that capacity until 2007. In 2008, he became chairman of Stryker, Japan, and in 2009 became the adviser to the president of Stryker International.
He is currently the president and CEO of Advanced Medical Innovation Crossroad, Japan, a company that specializes in providing expert help and guidance to U.S. medical device firms interested in doing business in Japan or Japanese firms doing business in the U.S.
Photo Caption: Yoshiaki Nakazawa traveled from Japan to Kalamazoo, with his wife Mariko to accept the Marketing Alumni Hall of Fame Award, in April. Pictured left to right: Mushtaq Luqmani, chair, Department of Marketing; Yoshiaki Nakazawa; Mariko Nakazawa; Ann Veeck, professor of marketing; Zahir Quraeshi, professor of marketing and G. W. Haworth Chair of Global Business.