An adviser to Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that the president-elect plans to choose businessman William Hagerty as the next U.S. ambassador to Japan.
Japanese news service Nikkei reported that Trump would soon officially announce the appointment.
The Trump adviser confirmed this report to Reuters on the condition of anonymity.
Hagerty will replace the current U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, who has held the post since 2013.
Hagerty started his own private equity firm.
His experience in Japan includes his time with Boston Consulting Group management and consulting. He is also a longtime American resident in the country, but some have said that Hagerty's knowledge of diplomacy and regional politics is unclear and could be concerning.
Trump's choice of Hagerty as the next ambassador to Japan is an indication that the president-elect will be "prioritizing economics in bilateral ties" with the country, Reuters noted.
An old boss of Hagerty's said that he might digress from Trump's conservative ideas on trade.
"Rather than doing that, he might advise Trump that if he doesn't think of other countries more, it ultimately may not benefit the United States," said Kochi Hori, a former president of Boston Consulting in Japan.
