Date of birth: Oct. 7, 1955

Party: LDP

Electoral district: Lower House; Tochigi No. 5 (seventh term)

Though this is his first time to head the industry ministry, Motegi has wide-ranging policy experience, having held a number of ministerial posts.

He became state minister in charge of issues pertaining to Okinawa and the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, as well as science and technology policy, in Junichiro Koizumi's Cabinet.

He also served as state minister in charge of financial services and administrative reform under Yasuo Fukuda in 2008. Most recently, he was LDP policy chief for a year from September 2011.

A University of Tokyo and Harvard University graduate, Motegi worked for management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. for eight years. He was also a visiting professor at Waseda University's Graduate School of Global Information and Telecommunication Studies between 2005 and 2010.

A native of Tochigi Prefecture, Motegi entered the Diet in 1993.