David W. Everhart - Principal
David W. Everhart is a founder and Executive Director of Ionis International, Inc. Prior to this, Mr. Everhart was President of PacificVision, a Japanese-owned corporate training firm that designed and managed innovative programs to prepare Japanese executives for working with Americans. A Japan specialist by academic study and work experience, Mr. Everhart has been involved in U.S.-Japan relations for about fifteen years. He has conducted training programs throughout the United States and in Japan for American and Japanese executives from Agilent, Amgen, Boeing, Conoco, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, Lincoln Financial, Nissan, Nomura Securities, Panasonic, Pitney-Bowes, Yamaha, Warner-Lambert, Western Digital, Weyerhauser and many other firms. In addition, Mr. Everhart regularly teaches executive courses on Japanese and Chinese management at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Mr. Everhart teaches from his experiences working, negotiating, and communicating with Japanese business people on a daily basis.

Mr. Everhart holds a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Michigan. Mr. Everhart has also worked for the Japanese Ministry of Education, where he assisted in the planning and implementation of international education programs in the Japanese public schools. Mr. Everhart has traveled extensively throughout Asia and around the globe, and speaks Japanese.


Susan M. Place - Principal
Susan M. Place is a founder and Managing Director of Ionis International, Inc. Previously she was the Executive Director at PacificVision, a Japanese-owned corporate training firm, where she was well known for her intercultural facilitation and training development skills. In the 1980s, Ms. Place worked for the start-up team of a large Japanese manufacturing firm in the automotive industry, managing relations between the firm and its American customers as well as acting as an intercultural communication facilitator. During her years at the company, Ms. Place gained first-hand experience with the inner workings of a Japanese company, and was involved with all aspects of the business, from boardroom meetings to manufacturing quality circles.

Ms. Place has been involved with U.S.-Japan relations for seventeen years. She has conducted intercultural training programs in the U.S., Japan, and Southeast Asia for hundreds of American and Asian managers. Ms. Place has trained executives from AT&T, Hitachi, Quantum, LSI Logic, Nomura Securities, Pillsbury, Chevron, Quark, Lockheed Martin, StorageTek, Fujitsu, and many other firms. Ms. Place regularly teaches executive courses on Japanese management at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She has worked as a professional interpreter for Japanese manufacturing consultants in the United States, and also as a curriculum advisor for the Japanese Ministry of Education in the city of Hitachi, Japan. Ms. Place holds a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University and speaks Japanese.

Bill Cheung - Associate
Bill Cheung, Chinese Business Specialist, is the Director of Asian Operations for the Weber-Stephen Products Company, developing and implementing business strategies in the Greater China region. Prior to joining Weber-Stephen, Mr. Cheung was the founder of a textile business that imported products directly from China for the U.S. market. Mr. Cheung was also a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, assisting Fortune 100 companies in developing business solutions for managing operational and strategic issues.

Working with numerous U.S.-based multinational corporations, Mr. Cheung assists his clients in developing market entry strategies in China, identifying and assessing potential strategic business partners, negotiating joint venture agreements, building cross-cultural work teams, and developing vendor integration processes to provide a bridge between American and Chinese business practices. With his vast experience working with the Chinese, and as a native of Hong Kong, Mr. Cheung provides valuable insights on working, negotiating and communicating with Chinese business people.

Mr. Cheung has trained professionals from 3Com, AlliedSignal, Amgen, Amoco, Anheuser-Busch, Baxter, Boeing, Ciba, Coors Brewing, Gates Rubber, Hach, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Lucent, Space Systems/Loral, Sundstrand, Sun Microsystems, Unocal, Whirlpool, and Xerox.

Mr. Cheung was educated in the United Kingdom, and received his BS and MBA from the University of Colorado.

Ronald D. Ellis – Associate
Ronald D. Ellis is a consultant, coach, and instructor to Western executive teams working within Japanese-owned organizations and to Western firms seeking more effective partnerships with Japanese companies. From 1981 to 2002 Mr. Ellis worked for Omron Corporation, a multi-billion dollar Japanese electronics manufacturer. While at Omron, Mr. Ellis served in management positions in Sales, Marketing, Engineering and Product Development, New Business Development and Division Management. Mr. Ellis worked closely and effectively with Japanese executives, and was a successful advocate in securing millions of dollars in project funding for his U.S. development group.

Mr. Ellis served on a Global Software Steering Committee, overseeing engineering and business issues for multi-national software development programs. Mr. Ellis established several new business groups while at Omron, including a U.S. software development organization and a systems integration business group.

Mr. Ellis has traveled to Japan for many years, and has worked with the Japanese under a wide range of circumstances. Mr. Ellis has received numerous awards and recognition from various organizations and universities for public speaking and guest lectures.

Ying Ying Liu, Ph.D. - Associate
Ying Ying Liu is a Chinese Business Specialist with Ionis International, assisting Western firms develop and implement business strategies in the Greater China region. Working with U.S.-based multinational corporations, Dr. Liu assists clients in developing market entry strategies in China, identifying and assessing potential strategic business partners, negotiating joint venture agreements, building cross-cultural work teams, and developing vendor integration processes to provide a bridge between American and Chinese business practices.

Born and educated in China, Dr. Liu then received her Ph.D. in the U.S. and has taught at the university level for six years. She provides a cultural native's insights on working, negotiating and communicating with Chinese business people. In early 2003, Dr. Liu relocated to Hong Kong where she now provides training programs and other services to Ionis’ clients in Asia.

Taka Muraji - Associate
Taka Muraji, Japanese Training Specialist, is an experienced intercultural trainer who has worked both in the U.S. and Japan facilitating business training programs. Mr. Muraji originally worked in advertising in Japan and New York City, and has consulted with U.S. firms such as Disney and Motorola helping them to establish marketing and advertising plans for Japan. He has conducted intercultural business training programs and team-building programs for such clients as Yamaha, Boeing, and Fuji Heavy Industries. Mr. Muraji is also working as marketing director for Unkai.com, a U.S.-based e-commerce company marketing U.S. health and fitness products to the Japanese market. He holds a B.A. from Eichi University in Osaka, and an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Colorado.

Li Weaver - Associate
Li Weaver is a Chinese Business Specialist with Ionis International, assisting Western firms develop and implement business strategies in the Greater China region. She provides a cultural native’s insights on working, negotiating, and communicating with Chinese business people.

Ms. Weaver has worked as the Chinese Sourcing Manager for Murray Inc., a U.S.-based firm with Chinese ownership, making major outdoor power equipment. She evaluated the capabilities of factory sources in China, negotiated pricing and payment terms with Chinese suppliers, established supplier bases in China, and built a U.S.-China cross-cultural work team providing a bridge between American and Chinese business practices. Ms. Weaver has also worked as part of the U.S. sales arm for the China National Automotive Company.

Born in China, Ms. Weaver received a BA in International Business Management in Beijing and an MBA in the United States. She speaks Chinese and English.