Robert Roche

Robert Roche is an international entrepreneur, civic leader, and philanthropist. He has launched, managed, and invested in businesses across the U.S. and Asia in a variety of sectors. He founded and is Executive Chairman of Oak Lawn Marketing, a multi-channel direct marketing company in Japan. He developed a top-rated golf course and residential community in Utah, and through Gallup Land Partners, is developing a carbon-neutral manufacturing complex with an inland port, free trade zone, and residential housing in Gallup, New Mexico.

Along with his successful business ventures, Roche is an engaged civic leader who has served as a representative for the U.S. and Japan, and participated as a donor, advisor, and board member to many organizations. In addition to his work with CNAS, he serves as Vice Chairman of the Quad Investors Network (QUIN), a non-profit that facilitates investments, joint ventures, and licensing in critical and emerging technologies across the Indo-Pacific. He co-founded the Business Forward Foundation and has represented the United States through his service in the American Chambers of Commerce in Japan and China. In 2010, President Obama named him to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, a committee he served on until 2014.

Roche is also a passionate philanthropist who is involved extensively in non-profit organizations focused on enhancing education, improving international relations, and building strong, sustainable communities. Endowments from Roche established a Chair for Interreligious Research at Nanzan University in Japan, and a Master of Laws in International Business Transactions at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law.

Roche received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Japanese studies at Illinois State University and earned his J.D. at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Roche is married with three children and spends time in Japan and the United States. He is fluent in Japanese and proficient in Mandarin Chinese.

To learn more, connect with Robert on LinkedIn.