Susumu Toriumi Appointed Chief Operating Officer of Nihon Cyber Defence

Nihon Cyber Defence (NCD) (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Cartan McLaughlin), a company pioneering sovereign cyber technology in Japan, today announced the appointment of Susumu Toriumi as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Toriumi brings an extensive background in technology leadership, business strategy, and emerging technologies to NCD at a time of rapid company expansion.

Purpose of Appointment

Toriumi’s appointment strengthens NCD’s executive team as the company operationalises its fully Japan-built cyber defence platform. His blend of technical depth and strategic leadership will be critical as NCD scales deployment across Japan’s critical infrastructure and delivers sovereign resilience at pace.

“I am honoured to join NCD at such a critical moment for Japan’s cyber resilience. NCD’s mission to build sovereign cyber capabilities strongly resonates with my passion for advancing technology and driving impactful innovation. I look forward to working with the team to accelerate our growth and deliver trusted solutions to our customers and partners.”

— Susumu Toriumi (COO)

“Susumu’s unique combination of class-A consulting experience, deep technical knowledge, and entrepreneurial leadership in blockchain makes him an ideal COO for this phase of growth. As we scale deployment, his operational focus and strategic mindset will be key to ensuring NCD delivers on its mission to secure Japan’s sovereign cyber resilience.”

— Cartan McLaughlin, Founder & CEO

Susumu Toriumi

Toriumi joins NCD from Datachain, where he served as Chief Operating Officer driving blockchain interoperability solutions for public and enterprise networks. His earlier career includes seven years at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) leading digital transformation and growth strategy projects. Toriumi holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from The University of Tokyo, specialising in optimisation algorithms and agent-based middleware.

Looking Ahead

With Susumu Toriumi stepping into the COO role, NCD is positioned to accelerate operational execution, strengthen cross-functional coordination, and scale its made-in-Japan cyber defence platform across critical sectors. His leadership will be instrumental in ensuring delivery readiness as NCD enters strategic partnerships and deepens engagement with Japan’s public and private sector stakeholders to advance digital sovereignty.