Yonathan Anatolii Ast

As COO, Anatolii provides comprehensive organizational support to Cesium. The operational systems he builds optimize efficiency and value creation for all levels of the company.

Anatolii has extensive business experience developed from an early age while working in his family’s company, the only private officially licensed reseller for Neuhaus, the international luxury Belgian chocolate brand. From risk management, customer relations and sales, and team management, to luxury aesthetics and branding, Anatolii developed many skills as the business grew into one of the most successful sales channels in the US. 

Anatolii is also passionate about Japanese language and culture. He received a FLAS scholarship to study intensive Japanese applied language at ICU in Tokyo, Japan, and also attended the University of Virginia as a FLAS scholar, where he graduated with a degree in East Asian Studies.

He’s since used his expertise in many cross border business ventures. He worked with a full consulting firm helping Japanese food and beverage companies export their brands overseas, and he managed a diverse set of cross border portfolio projects, including art, real estate, and technology for an international holding company.

He also supported cross border product development, strategy, and project management for the Smart Construction initiative at Komatsu, Ltd., and as a consulting director of corporate strategy for Earthbrain, Ltd. While there he advised on the development of scalable market strategies, operational systems, product development roadmapping, and the building of the entire North American launch team.

Anatolii is a voracious reader, passionate gamer, avid runner, and life long learner of Japanese language. He has also spent over 20 years studying the history, cultivation, and making of Japanese and Chinese teas. He begins each day with a cup.