Kana Iikura is a social scientist specialising in global health governance and Human Security, with a particular focus on multisectoral and public–private partnerships. Her work examines how institutional design and policy instruments shape social outcomes across different levels of governance.
She began her career at the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria, managing grassroots Human Security grant projects. She later joined the Japan Center for International Exchange, where she contributed to research and international policy dialogue on global health and human security, including case studies in Indonesia and Vietnam.
Her professional experience in the private sector focused on sustainability governance and institutional reform. At KPMG, she advised multinational corporations on sustainability strategy and disclosure. She later served as an in-house sustainability officer at Prologis, leading decarbonisation and stakeholder engagement. She also served as Chief Operating Officer of a sustainability advisory firm and played a leading role in establishing a sustainability solutions division within a Singapore-based professional services group.
She currently works as an independent advisor on sustainability governance and has delivered lectures for government officials through regional ESG policy seminars, including programmes organised by the Asian Productivity Organization.