Leora Coleman-Fire – Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

When Leora Coleman-Fire first joined Ajinomoto Group’s North America Division in 2017, she was drawn not only to the company’s global scope but also to its cultural depth and potential for transformation. What began as an opportunity to help strengthen the company’s North American legal function quickly evolved into a leadership journey defined by empathy, strategic vision, and cross-cultural understanding.

Leora Coleman-Fire | Ajinomoto Co., Inc. | SVP & Chief Legal Officer

Now serving as senior vice president and chief legal officer, Coleman-Fire leads a highly capable team that supports the Ajinomoto Group’s 14 affiliate companies across North America. Her mission is clear: to create an efficient and trusted legal department deeply integrated with the business. That means shifting from a reactive mindset to a proactive one, where lawyers anticipate risks, identify opportunities, and collaborate with other functions to drive growth.

“Our legal team is focused on connection and continuous improvement,” she says. “We’ve built a strong feedback loop that helps us understand business priorities and tailor our support to meet them effectively.”

This emphasis on proactive leadership reflects the Ajinomoto Group’s larger philosophy. With a more than 100-year history in the United States and a global presence spanning 36 countries and regions, the company has continuously operated at the intersection of science, nutrition, and culture. Guided by the philosophy “Eat Well, Live Well,” the Ajinomoto Group applies advanced bioscience and fine chemical technologies to enhance food and health worldwide. Its work extends far beyond the kitchen—touching industries from biotechnology, healthcare, cosmetics, to green innovation—all aimed at supporting human wellness through amino acid science.

A global company, a shared legal vision

When Coleman-Fire was promoted to general counsel in 2023 and then to her current role as chief legal officer in April 2025, it marked both personal achievement and organizational transformation. Her first six months as CLO were spent building deeper connections across affiliate companies, aligning strategies between the North America Division and Ajinomoto Group’s Tokyo headquarters, and leading the launch of a shared services model that brings together legal, internal audit, and finance.

The idea, she explains, is to provide unified, high-quality support across all Ajinomoto Group entities in the region.

“We’ve become a true shared service organization,” she says. “That means better communication, consistency, and a shared commitment to operational excellence.”

Her leadership approach emphasizes proactive collaboration. Rather than waiting for problems to arise, her team works alongside departments like internal audit to anticipate potential issues and address them before they escalate. The result is stronger risk management and greater trust and visibility for the legal function.

The Ajinomoto Group’s complexity adds another layer of challenge. Unlike companies rooted in a single industry, the Ajinomoto Group operates across multiple sectors—food, health, biotechnology, and advanced materials—each governed by unique legal and regulatory frameworks. For Coleman-Fire, that diversity is an opportunity to think creatively.

“We’re constantly navigating different regulatory landscapes,” she says. “It’s demanding, but it keeps the work exciting and helps us develop innovative ways to support compliance and growth.”

One of the initiatives she’s most proud of is the team’s strategic retreat at Forge Biologics, one of the Ajinomoto Group’s North American affiliates. The two-day session allowed the legal group to shift from daily tasks and focus entirely on long-term strategy.

“We used the time to realign on purpose,” she explains. “It was about asking ourselves: what does success look like for our team, and how do we continue to elevate our role as partners to the business?”

Leadership grounded in empathy & excellence

Coleman-Fire’s path to the legal profession was anything but conventional. With a degree in psychology, she began her career in AmeriCorps, where she first encountered the influence and versatility of lawyers working across public service, ethics, and healthcare.

“I realized the lawyers I was meeting had the most interesting and impactful jobs,” she recalls. “That curiosity led me to law school.”

After starting her legal career at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, she was eventually recruited to join the Ajinomoto Group—a move that aligned perfectly with her passion for global collaboration and cultural competence. Five years after joining, she and her family relocated to Tokyo, where she worked at the company’s headquarters. That year-long experience proved transformative, offering deep insight into Japanese business culture, relationships’ importance, and trust-building’s value.

“Living in Japan gave me a new level of empathy and patience,” she says. “It changed how I approach leadership and communication. I now think much more about what’s unsaid, and how cultural context shapes understanding.”

Her leadership style today reflects that blend of global awareness and human connection. She is on multiple executive leadership teams and corporate secretary for all 14 North American affiliate companies, and leads a team of eight attorneys and two paralegals—spread across the United States. She cultivates a culture of trust, flexibility, and accountability to keep them engaged and empowered.

“I expect everyone to bring their best ideas and creativity to the table,” she says. “People on my team know they can challenge assumptions, take risks, and even fail—as long as they’re learning and pushing us forward.”

She describes her approach as transparent and supportive but rooted in high expectations. Team members are encouraged to step outside their lanes, share knowledge, and collaborate freely.

“Success isn’t about hitting a statistic,” she explains. “It’s about being a strategic, kind, and thoughtful partner. I want everyone on my team to feel like they’re making a meaningful impact.”

Recruitment and retention haven’t been major challenges, thanks to the department’s strong reputation and flexibility.

“We get a lot of applicants for every opening,” she says. “People are drawn to our team’s culture, where they’re trusted to work flexibly and recognized for their achievements.”

Balancing growth, family & the future

For all her professional success, Coleman-Fire acknowledges that balancing an ambitious career with family life is one of her biggest ongoing challenges. As a mother of three, she spends much of her time traveling between Ajinomoto’s offices and manufacturing sites across North America.

“Some weeks I feel like I live out of a suitcase,” she admits with a laugh. “I might fly to Chicago on Monday, Los Angeles on Wednesday, and Portland on Friday.”

She says her husband is an “incredible partner” who keeps the home front running smoothly. Still, she treasures the moments she can spend with her children and tries to make them meaningful—whether that means tacking a family trip onto the end of a business meeting or racing home in time for a birthday cake.

Her experience as both an executive and a parent has shaped her perspective on leadership.

“I’ve learned that being present—whether for my team or my family—doesn’t always mean being physically there all the time,” she says. “It means being intentional with your time and energy and giving people your full attention when you’re with them.”

That philosophy extends to her approach to innovation and technology as well. Coleman-Fire sees enormous potential for AI to enhance efficiency within legal teams but stresses the importance of maintaining human judgment and accountability. “AI can take us 80 percent of the way in seconds,” she says, “but it’s our responsibility to ensure that last 20 percent—the part that requires wisdom and context—is done right.”

As the Ajinomoto Group continues to expand its presence in the U.S., she envisions the legal department becoming even more deeply embedded in the company’s innovation pipeline, helping guide partnerships, protect intellectual property, and uphold the organization’s values through sound governance.

“We’re rolling out digital tools to make onboarding and corporate governance more efficient,” she explains. “But beyond technology, it’s about ensuring that our legal practices truly reflect who we are as a company.”

Looking ahead with purpose

Reflecting on her journey, Coleman-Fire remains deeply grateful for her mentors, colleagues, and family members who have supported her. Her international experiences, from volunteering in Peru during her year off between high school and college to working for a publicly traded company in Japan, have shaped her worldview and leadership philosophy: that growth often comes from navigating discomfort.

“I grew up in a multilingual home and have always been comfortable in unfamiliar environments,” she says. “Those experiences taught me that innovation and personal growth thrive when we’re willing to step outside our comfort zones.”

That belief mirrors the spirit of Ajinomoto Co., Inc.—a company that is rooted in science but inspired by humanity. From pioneering amino acid research to advancing sustainable food production, the Ajinomoto Group’s mission to “Eat Well, Live Well” continues to guide its global efforts toward healthier living and a better world.

For Coleman-Fire, that mission provides a daily reminder of why her work matters.

“At the end of the day,” she says, “it’s about helping people live better—whether through the food we make, the science we advance, or the way we treat each other.”