Robert “Skipp” Orr (1953–2021)
Former ACCJ leader and US Ambassador passes away at the age of 68
Orr (second right) with US President Bill Clinton at an ACCJ Town Hall meeting on November 20, 1998.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) has lost a longtime member and leader, Robert “Skipp” Orr, who passed away on August 12 due to heart failure at his home in Kamakura. He was 68.
Orr played a key role in US–Japan relations over many decades and helped lead the ACCJ during the 1990s as a governor (1995–96) and vice president (1997–99). He guided Boeing Japan K.K. as president from 2002 to 2007 and served as chairman of the board of the Panasonic Foundation from 2007 to 2010.
In September 2010, he was named US Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and held the post until December 31, 2015. He continued to serve as a member of the ADB Institute Advisory Council following his ambassadorship.
Orr’s contributions to US–Japan relations were recognized by the Japanese government in 2018 with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.
Memories
During his time as an ACCJ leader, Orr often wrote columns for The ACCJ Journal. We asked some members who worked alongside Orr at the chamber for their memories.
ACCJ Chairman Emeritus Kumi Sato said that “Skipp was the kind of person who, the longer you knew him, the more you found out about his depth of knowledge and expertise, and his life. He knew what he was talking about.
“He devoted his life to improving US relations with Asian countries,” she continued. “It seemed like he loved his job, and had a strong sense of duty to let everyone understand the challenges and sensitivities of these relationships. He cared. I’m so saddened that he went too early and fast, and wish that we could have had more chats, to find out what he thinks of the world today.”
President emeritus Tom Whitson remembers Orr as “a longtime friend and ACCJ colleague who enjoyed life and could laugh at himself. He didn’t mind being teased as ‘Mr. Ambassador’ for his position with the Asian Bank in Manila. As an ACCJ vice president, Skipp’s knowledge of US–Japan trade policy and policymakers was very valuable to the chamber. He had a fascinating career in politics, academia, industry, and with international organizations. I appreciated his willingness to share what he knew with people less well-connected than he was, like me.”
Glen Fukushima fondly remembers working together with Orr. “Skipp and I were friends from the 1980s, and we had a lot of fun in the 1990s when I was ACCJ president and he was one of the vice presidents,” he recalled. “We worked especially closely with Ambassador Walter Mondale (1993–96) and Ambassador Tom Foley (1997–2001) on US–Japan trade issues, since Skipp was working for Motorola and I was working for AT&T. He later worked for Boeing and I worked for Airbus, but we always maintained our friendship. We had a Zoom call in April and exchanged emails in early August, only a week before he passed away. I will really miss his great friendship.”
Former ACCJ executive director Samuel Kidder said: “I first got to know Skipp Orr when working on telecom market access decades ago—Skipp at Motorola, me at the US Embassy in Tokyo. Through his years at Boeing, and then as Ambassador at the Asian Development Bank, our paths often crossed or converged. It was a privilege to be on the same team with him so often. His open friendship and broad intellectual curiosity made him a special colleague. So many of us will miss and long remember Skipp.”
And Don Kanak, who served as ACCJ president in 2002 and chairman in 2003, told The ACCJ Journal that he was shocked and saddened to learn of Orr’s passing. “I met Skipp in Japan many years ago, in Tokyo, when he was representing Motorola and then heading Boeing, and I was with AIG,” he said. “We collaborated on a number of ACCJ initiatives related to high-profile US–Japan trade issues.
“Skipp was an excellent strategist on trade and political economy and a joy to work with. He had an exceptional understanding of the value of long-term relationships in Japan, the United States, and Europe. Not everyone knew Skipp’s background included a deep knowledge of Europe and native German language skills, in addition to Japanese,” Kanak continued.
“More recently, I was able to connect with Skipp while he served with distinction as the US Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank, playing a big role building multilateral support for infrastructure in Southeast Asia and for sustainability. He was an extraordinary person and a good friend. We will all miss him greatly.”
