SF Symphony president Sako Fisher passes the reins after 8 years at the helm

By: Joshua Kosman
The San Francisco Chronicle

Hirsch client Sakurako Fisher, of the Sakana Foundation and O2 Initiatives, is featured in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle which reflects on her time as board president at the SF Symphony.

(The San Francisco Chronicle) – To illustrate her vision for how the San Francisco Symphony should work together successfully, Sakurako Fisher reaches far outside the world of classical music, and even outside the arts. Instead, she goes for an analogy from Formula One racing.

“To win at racing,” she explains, “you need four things: a great car, a great driver, a strong pit crew and sponsorship. Well, here, the orchestra is the car, the music director is the driver, the staff is the crew, and the board and donors are the sponsors. And unless all of those are at the same level, it’s not going to work.”

This is a characteristic formulation for Fisher, who stepped down as the Symphony’s board president, after eight years, on Dec. 9. It combines a down-to-earth, plain-spoken style with the conviction that excellence needs to be pursued on all fronts.

Talk to colleagues and associates about Fisher, widely known as Sako, and a consistent set of virtues quickly emerges. Her tireless work ethic, her deep involvement in every aspect of the Symphony’s operation, and her eagerness to challenge comfortable truisms about how things should be done — all these add up to the portrait of a leader who, at 61, has taken an forceful role in moving the Symphony forward.

Click here to read the rest of The San Francisco Chronicle article.