Noboru Ueda joined ClassNK in 1969, just after graduating from the University of Tokyo with a Master's Degree in naval architecture. He started his career working in the Hull Department at ClassNK's Head Office in Tokyo and later went on to serve as the first General Manager of the Seattle Office. In his more than 45 years at ClassNK he has overseen almost every aspect of ship safety, from surveys of existing vessels and newbuildings, to plan approval and rule development.

After being elected Chairman and President of ClassNK in 2008, he led ClassNK to become the first classification society in history to have more than 200 million gross tons on its register.

Noboru Ueda also served as Chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) from July 2010 until June 2011. His performance as head of one of the world's leading classification societies has been lauded throughout the maritime industry, and was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Seatrade Asia Awards in June 2013, and a Global Lifetime Achievement Award at the SMP Leadership & Excellence Awards in February 2014.