Naho Kono joined Rakuten (currently Rakuten Group) in 2003. She has served in key senior positions in marketing, UI/UX, business strategy and more for Rakuten Ichiba, the largest online shopping platform in Japan. Kono became the first female and youngest Managing Executive Officer in the history of Rakuten as of 2017. She currently serves as Managing Executive Officer and CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) of the Rakuten Group and Rakuten Mobile, a new mobile carrier business that made its full-scale commercial launch in 2020.

The Rakuten Group has operations in 30 countries and regions around the world and provides a diverse portfolio of 70+ services, and Kono manages the marketing and brand strategies across the entire Group. She is focused on promoting customer acquisition and membership growth by utilizing the Rakuten Ecosystem, an interconnected network based on membership that leverages the Rakuten Points loyalty program and data to create a unique value proposition. Kono was selected by Campaign Asia-Pacific for both the 2020 and 2021 Asia-Pacific Power List as one of the region’s 50 most influential marketers.