A senior Partner in Tokyo, one of the hardest markets in the world to hire in.
A global healthcare analytics and research firm needed a locally rooted Partner in Tokyo, a seat that had stayed open for months in one of the most nuanced hiring markets anywhere.
The outcome, in numbers.
The situation
The firm needed a senior Partner based in Tokyo who genuinely understood the Japanese market, widely regarded as one of the most complex and nuanced hiring landscapes in the world. The role had been open for a significant period.
The mandate came through the London leadership team, so the search had to work across geographies and cultures at once, with the criticality of a Partner-level seat leaving no room for a loose process.
What we did
Given the seniority and the market, we ran a high-touch, research-led executive search rather than a listings-driven one. We mapped the market comprehensively and identified the small set of leaders who fit, then engaged them directly.
From there it was cross-border execution: aligning stakeholders across Tokyo and London and managing coordination and negotiations end to end, through to offer.
- 01 A comprehensive market map of Partner-level talent in the Tokyo market.
- 02 Direct engagement of the few leaders who fit the brief.
- 03 Stakeholder alignment across Tokyo and London leadership.
- 04 End-to-end management of coordination and offer negotiation.
The outcome
The role closed in three months from search initiation to offer, after sitting open for far longer. The shortlist was tight by design: three CVs shared to make the hire, from a rigorously assessed field.
It stands as one of the firm’s toughest closures and a clear example of how a research-led strategy can open even the most difficult markets.
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