August 17, 2025 • 12 mins
🎧Japan’s private equity (PE) landscape is evolving rapidly — and so are the talent demands fueling its growth. In this episode of Executive Search in Japan, we explore how PE firms are reshaping leadership expectations, accelerating the demand for agile, cross-functional executives who can drive transformation across portfolio companies.
As PE deal volume increases and more global and domestic funds expand their footprint in Japan, executive search is becoming a mission-critical function. But unlike traditional large-cap hiring, PE demands a different breed of leader: commercially aggressive, operationally hands-on, and ready to pivot quickly. This shift is triggering a wave of C-suite recruitment activity focused on performance-driven CFOs, COOs, CROs, and turnaround-savvy CEOs.
We examine how executive recruiters are supporting PE firms not only in identifying these “power players,” but also in crafting leadership pipelines, succession planning, and onboarding strategies tailored to the fast-paced, high-stakes world of private equity in Japan.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Chase Stratton (00:00):
Welcome curious minds to another deep dive.
Today we're plunging into areally fascinating corner of
global business that's evolvingsuper fast.
Private equity in Japan.
We're going to really dig intohow Japan's private equity
landscape isn't just seeingexplosive growth.
I mean, that's part of it.
But it's fundamentallyreshaping the kind of leaders it
(00:21):
needs.
And then we'll look at howspecialized executive search
firms are scrambling might bethe right word to find these
often elusive power players.
Tessa Sourceley (00:30):
Yeah, what's truly remarkable here, I think,
is the unique intersection yousee Japan's, you know, deeply
rooted cultural and economicdynamics meeting the fast paced,
high stakes world of privateequity.
It's creating this veryspecific, urgent demand for
agile, transformation drivenexecutives.
We'll explore why this mattersto you, whether you're maybe
navigating a fast changingindustry yourself or just
(00:51):
genuinely curious about what'sdriving these big global
business trends.
Chase Stratton (00:55):
Right.
Our goal today is basically toextract the essential insights
from our source material, whichis a pretty comprehensive look
at executive search in JapanesePE to give you a real shortcut
to understanding this criticalshift.
Get ready for some surprisingfacts and maybe maybe a few
moments that'll make you go,huh.
OK, so before we jump into thenew kind of leaders needed,
(01:17):
maybe we should start with thewhy.
What sparked this this kind ofexplosion of private equity
activity in Japan in the firstplace?
Let's unpack the underlyingforces.
Tessa Sourceley (01:27):
Well, if we try and connect this to the bigger
picture, you've got a few thingshappening at once.
Japan's maturing economy, thesewidespread succession issues,
especially at small and mediumsized enterprises and SMEs, you
know, and then add in apersistent low interest
environment.
All that together actuallycreated almost perfect
conditions for PE growth.
A real perfect storm.
Chase Stratton (01:46):
Perfect storm.
Yeah.
And it's not just domesticplayers jumping in, right?
We're seeing a significantincrease in inbound deals.
Tessa Sourceley (01:52):
Oh, absolutely.
That is, you know,international funds pouring
capital into Japanese companies.
You've got the major globalplayers like Bain, KKR, Carlyle,
all rapidly expanding theirfootprint there.
But it's not just inbound.
You've also got strong domesticfirms like Advantage Partners
and Polaris Capital Group.
They're also significantlyexpanding their hiring.
(02:15):
And specifically, they'rehiring to accelerate their
portfolio company's growth,which, of course, this kind of
demand for rapid change andexpansion just begs the
question, what kind of talentdoes this market actually need
right now?
Chase Stratton (02:28):
Exactly.
So given this booming interestand the, let's face it, unique
challenges of the Japanesemarket, what specific traits are
PE firms really looking for intheir leaders now?
Our sources point to a veryclear shift.
It's away from the traditionalkind of steady state manager.
Tessa Sourceley (02:43):
Keep things ticking over.
Chase Stratton (02:44):
Right.
Toward a whole new breed ofdynamic leaders, people with
deep, proven transformationexperience.
Tessa Sourceley (02:49):
That's exactly right.
And what that translates intois, well, high demand for
certain roles.
Bilingual CFOs are huge.
Operators with direct, hands-onPE experience and highly
specialized sector experts.
Crucially, candidates who canthrive in ambiguity because
these situations are often messyand who can collaborate really
closely with the deal teams,those are the ones who are
(03:11):
highly preferred.
It's a very different skill setthan maybe five, 10 years ago.
Chase Stratton (03:16):
You know, that brings up a fascinating point,
something our research touchedon.
What happens when the wrongtype of leader gets parachuted
in?
Tessa Sourceley (03:23):
Ah, yes.
Chase Stratton (03:24):
They describe this thing called the hotel CEO
phenomenon.
Have you heard about this?
Tessa Sourceley (03:28):
I have, yes.
The idea being they check in,makes some noise and check out.
Chase Stratton (03:31):
Exactly.
These are executives, oftenwith really high credentials,
elite MBAs, maybe from topconsulting firms.
They sweep in, make somesurface level changes, maybe
rearrange the furniture a bit,and then they leave before any
true deep operationaltransformation actually takes
root.
Get this scenario from one ofour sources.
A CEO brought into a companythat still used fax machines.
Tessa Sourceley (03:53):
Wow.
Fax machines.
Chase Stratton (03:56):
And paper approvals for every single
procurement decision.
Even for toilet paper.
Tessa Sourceley (04:02):
You're kidding?
Chase Stratton (04:03):
Nope.
And he resigned after just afew weeks.
It just perfectly illustratesthat clash, doesn't it?
Old world corporate cultureversus the new world.
PE demands for speed and deepoperational change.
Tessa Sourceley (04:15):
That's a stark example.
And there was anothercompelling one about language,
actually.
It shows how critical seeminglyminor details can be.
A PE firm once insisted,apparently, that English isn't
needed for one of its domesticportfolio companies.
So they hired a Japanese-onlyspeaking CEO.
Chase Stratton (04:32):
It seems logical on the surface for a domestic
company.
Tessa Sourceley (04:34):
Right.
But then that CEO later lost akey international client because
he misinterpreted a crucialEnglish language contract
clause.
Chase Stratton (04:42):
Ouch.
Tessa Sourceley (04:43):
Yeah, it really makes you think, doesn't it?
Even in these deals that seempurely domestic, why is
bilingualism often still missioncritical, especially when you
think about cross-bordercompliance or maybe aiming for a
global exit down the line?
Chase Stratton (04:55):
That's a powerful lesson.
Just the hidden costs oflanguage barriers, even when you
think you don't need it.
But OK, stepping back a bit,it's also increasingly common,
we found, for retired orsemi-retired Right, as
Tessa Sourceley (05:11):
portfolio advisors or maybe interim CEOs.
Chase Stratton (05:14):
Exactly.
And get this stat.
Over 60% of new portfolioexecutives in domestic mid-cap
PE deals between 2022 and 2024were actually in their 50s or
older.
Tessa Sourceley (05:26):
That is interesting.
Chase Stratton (05:27):
It is.
It's a fascinating counterpointto the usual narrative, isn't
it?
Japan's aging population, oftenframed as this big challenge,
is actually proving to be astrategic talent goldmine for PE
in some ways, providingexperienced hands for these
complex turnarounds.
Tessa Sourceley (05:42):
A source of stability and deep industry
knowledge, perhaps.
Chase Stratton (05:45):
Precisely.
So given this very specifictalent need and the cultural
landscape we've touched on, howare the executive recruiters
adapting their strategies?
How are they finding thesepeople?
What we've discovered is prettyinteresting.
they're mapping talentpipelines even before deals
actually close.
Tessa Sourceley (06:00):
Ah, the pre-diligence hiring.
Chase Stratton (06:02):
Exactly.
Meaning they're lining up keytalent, key leadership, even
before the acquisition isfinalized.
The idea is to hit the groundrunning on day one.
No time wasted.
Tessa Sourceley (06:13):
Yeah, that makes sense.
There's a very strong emphasisnow on value creation playbooks,
on leveraging interim topermanent placements, try before
you buy, essentially.
And crucially, identifyingculturally aligned leadership
leadership.
They're really thinking severalsteps ahead.
It's become much morestrategic.
Chase Stratton (06:30):
But even with these advanced strategies,
there's still significanthurdles, right?
Tessa Sourceley (06:34):
Oh, definitely.
Chase Stratton (06:35):
Japanese executives traditionally often
show a degree of risk aversioncompared to, say, their U.S.
counterparts.
There's strong loyalty,sometimes to previous employers.
Tessa Sourceley (06:45):
And sometimes just limited familiarity with
the private equity world itself,how it works, the pace, the
expectations.
Chase Stratton (06:51):
Yeah.
And the cultural nuances can beunexpected.
Here's a memorable anecdotethat illustrates Why?
What happened?
Because the new incoming CEOrefused to let the founder's cat
Stay in the office.
Tessa Sourceley (07:12):
The cat.
You're joking.
A deal broke down over a cat.
Chase Stratton (07:15):
A cat.
It sounds absurd, but it reallyunderscores how profoundly
culture can influence thesedeals, right?
Tessa Sourceley (07:21):
Wow.
What that really highlights, Isuppose, is that cultural
integration in Japan's founderled companies isn't just about
org charts and reporting lines.
Sometimes it boils down toseemingly minor details like
pets and pride.
Chase Stratton (07:34):
Absolutely.
Tessa Sourceley (07:35):
It really makes you question just how deep does
that understanding of localculture need to go in these
really high stakes deals.
It's not trivial.
Chase Stratton (07:43):
Not at all.
And speaking of surprisingdevelopments, maybe one of the
most unexpected shifts oursources pointed to is the rise
of the private equity CRO.
Tessa Sourceley (07:52):
Yes.
The chief human resourcesofficer role, but specifically
geared for PE.
Chase Stratton (07:57):
Exactly.
PE firms are now installingCROs or sometimes dedicated
talent advisers very early inthe process.
We're talking often from dayone of the deal.
Tessa Sourceley (08:05):
And these aren't your traditional HR
roles, are they?
They're tasked with buildingculture fast executing major
organizational redesigns,retaining the absolute
high-impact talent And all ofthis within incredibly short
time frames.
It's an incredibly demandinghigh pressure role.
Chase Stratton (08:22):
Totally.
As one CHRO recounted, and I'mparaphrasing slightly here, but
the gist was, we were expectedto build a new HR system, hire a
30-person team, fire threeunderperformers, and develop a
retention strategy all beforethe next board meeting.
Tessa Sourceley (08:38):
And how long did they have?
Chase Stratton (08:39):
Six weeks.
Tessa Sourceley (08:40):
Six weeks.
That's
Chase Stratton (08:41):
intense.
It sounds almost impossible.
Tessa Sourceley (08:43):
It absolutely does.
And what that highlights, Ithink, is a fundamental velocity
You've got the traditional paceof Japanese corporate culture,
which can be more measured, moreconsensus-driven, clashing
head-on with PEs, intense timeis money, results now, ethos.
It's a real clash of speeds,and these CHROs are right there
in the thick of it.
Chase Stratton (09:02):
Fascinating pressure point.
So, okay, we know the demand isthere.
We know the challenges.
Who are the actual playersmaking these crucial
connections, the executivesearch firms linking the PE
funds with this specializedtalent?
Tessa Sourceley (09:16):
Well, the big global firms are definitely
playing a major role.
Our sources highlighted thatfirms like Hydric and Struggles,
Egon Zender, Korn Ferry, theyall now have dedicated private
equity practices in Japan.
Chase Stratton (09:29):
So they've recognized the need for
specialization.
Tessa Sourceley (09:31):
Exactly.
And alongside them, you alsohave smaller boutique firms and
sector-focused recruiters whoare absolutely crucial for
sourcing some of those reallyniche operational leaders.
And critically, they work veryclosely with the fund partners
themselves, not just, say, theHR departments.
It's about ensuring the talentacquisition is perfectly aligned
with the deal strategy and thespecific value creation plan for
(09:52):
that company.
Chase Stratton (09:53):
Right.
It's deeply strategic.
Tessa Sourceley (09:55):
Absolutely.
And the sources mentionedspecific leading figures, you
know, people like Aya Inuma,Suri Hatonda, Stephen Mark
Greenberg at Hydric.
At Egon Zender, you've got YujiTokunaga and Kenichi Uwata.
And over at Korn Ferry, PeterRakue, Peter Matsumoto, Milana
Khodorkovskaya are key names intheir private funds practice.
Okay.
(10:15):
These individuals and otherslike them, they bring really
deep strategic insights into howthese PE-led searches have to
be conducted in Japan today.
It covers everything fromidentifying executives with very
specific turnaround skills allthe way to aligning leadership
styles with the core valuecreation goals.
It really highlights thatexecutive search isn't just a
(10:35):
support function here.
It's becoming truly missioncritical in this evolving
landscape.
Chase Stratton (10:40):
That makes a lot of sense.
So let's try and tie this alltogether.
What does this all mean for youlistening in?
Tessa Sourceley (10:45):
Well, first, Japan's private equity market is
clearly booming.
That's undeniable.
But it requires this new typeof fast, agile leadership that,
frankly, traditional recruitingchannels often just don't
provide.
Chase Stratton (10:56):
And executive search firms are right there on
the front lines building thesepower player pipelines tailored
to very specific portfoliocompany value creation
strategies.
Tessa Sourceley (11:05):
And success in this really high stakes
recruiting, it hinges on thatdeep understanding of both the
cultural nuances we talkedabout, like the cat, and the
rapid fire dynamics of a deal.
Japan's evolving PE marketisn't just creating
opportunities for the fundsthemselves.
It's also opening upsignificant new doors for
recruiters, for those specialistCHROs, and for ambitious
(11:28):
executives who have those proventurnaround capabilities.
Chase Stratton (11:32):
Our deep dive today, I think, reveals this
really fascinating intersectionof global finance and local
culture, seeing how a countryoften known for its traditions
is adapting, sometimes maybestruggling, but adapting to the
aggressive pace of privateequity and demanding a whole new
caliber of leadership in theprocess.
Tessa Sourceley (11:50):
Which leads to maybe a final thought or
question for you to consider.
As global capital continues toflow into new markets beyond
Japan, how do you think talentdemands in other regions might
be similarly reshaped?
Reshaped by that unique blendof local culture, local
traditions, and theseglobalizing business objectives
from things like private equity?
(12:11):
It's a pattern we might seerepeating elsewhere.
Chase Stratton (12:14):
That's a great question to ponder Thank you for
joining us on this deep dive.
We hope you feel a little morewell-informed and perhaps a lot
more curious about these hiddencurrents shaping global
leadership today.
Welcome curious minds to another deep dive.
Today we're plunging into areally fascinating corner of
global business that's evolvingsuper fast.
Private equity in Japan.
We're going to really dig intohow Japan's private equity
landscape isn't just seeingexplosive growth.
I mean, that's part of it.
But it's fundamentallyreshaping the kind of leaders it
(00:21):
needs.
And then we'll look at howspecialized executive search
firms are scrambling might bethe right word to find these
often elusive power players.
Tessa Sourceley (00:30):
Yeah, what's truly remarkable here, I think,
is the unique intersection yousee Japan's, you know, deeply
rooted cultural and economicdynamics meeting the fast paced,
high stakes world of privateequity.
It's creating this veryspecific, urgent demand for
agile, transformation drivenexecutives.
We'll explore why this mattersto you, whether you're maybe
navigating a fast changingindustry yourself or just
(00:51):
genuinely curious about what'sdriving these big global
business trends.
Chase Stratton (00:55):
Right.
Our goal today is basically toextract the essential insights
from our source material, whichis a pretty comprehensive look
at executive search in JapanesePE to give you a real shortcut
to understanding this criticalshift.
Get ready for some surprisingfacts and maybe maybe a few
moments that'll make you go,huh.
OK, so before we jump into thenew kind of leaders needed,
(01:17):
maybe we should start with thewhy.
What sparked this this kind ofexplosion of private equity
activity in Japan in the firstplace?
Let's unpack the underlyingforces.
Tessa Sourceley (01:27):
Well, if we try and connect this to the bigger
picture, you've got a few thingshappening at once.
Japan's maturing economy, thesewidespread succession issues,
especially at small and mediumsized enterprises and SMEs, you
know, and then add in apersistent low interest
environment.
All that together actuallycreated almost perfect
conditions for PE growth.
A real perfect storm.
Chase Stratton (01:46):
Perfect storm.
Yeah.
And it's not just domesticplayers jumping in, right?
We're seeing a significantincrease in inbound deals.
Tessa Sourceley (01:52):
Oh, absolutely.
That is, you know,international funds pouring
capital into Japanese companies.
You've got the major globalplayers like Bain, KKR, Carlyle,
all rapidly expanding theirfootprint there.
But it's not just inbound.
You've also got strong domesticfirms like Advantage Partners
and Polaris Capital Group.
They're also significantlyexpanding their hiring.
(02:15):
And specifically, they'rehiring to accelerate their
portfolio company's growth,which, of course, this kind of
demand for rapid change andexpansion just begs the
question, what kind of talentdoes this market actually need
right now?
Chase Stratton (02:28):
Exactly.
So given this booming interestand the, let's face it, unique
challenges of the Japanesemarket, what specific traits are
PE firms really looking for intheir leaders now?
Our sources point to a veryclear shift.
It's away from the traditionalkind of steady state manager.
Tessa Sourceley (02:43):
Keep things ticking over.
Chase Stratton (02:44):
Right.
Toward a whole new breed ofdynamic leaders, people with
deep, proven transformationexperience.
Tessa Sourceley (02:49):
That's exactly right.
And what that translates intois, well, high demand for
certain roles.
Bilingual CFOs are huge.
Operators with direct, hands-onPE experience and highly
specialized sector experts.
Crucially, candidates who canthrive in ambiguity because
these situations are often messyand who can collaborate really
closely with the deal teams,those are the ones who are
(03:11):
highly preferred.
It's a very different skill setthan maybe five, 10 years ago.
Chase Stratton (03:16):
You know, that brings up a fascinating point,
something our research touchedon.
What happens when the wrongtype of leader gets parachuted
in?
Tessa Sourceley (03:23):
Ah, yes.
Chase Stratton (03:24):
They describe this thing called the hotel CEO
phenomenon.
Have you heard about this?
Tessa Sourceley (03:28):
I have, yes.
The idea being they check in,makes some noise and check out.
Chase Stratton (03:31):
Exactly.
These are executives, oftenwith really high credentials,
elite MBAs, maybe from topconsulting firms.
They sweep in, make somesurface level changes, maybe
rearrange the furniture a bit,and then they leave before any
true deep operationaltransformation actually takes
root.
Get this scenario from one ofour sources.
A CEO brought into a companythat still used fax machines.
Tessa Sourceley (03:53):
Wow.
Fax machines.
Chase Stratton (03:56):
And paper approvals for every single
procurement decision.
Even for toilet paper.
Tessa Sourceley (04:02):
You're kidding?
Chase Stratton (04:03):
Nope.
And he resigned after just afew weeks.
It just perfectly illustratesthat clash, doesn't it?
Old world corporate cultureversus the new world.
PE demands for speed and deepoperational change.
Tessa Sourceley (04:15):
That's a stark example.
And there was anothercompelling one about language,
actually.
It shows how critical seeminglyminor details can be.
A PE firm once insisted,apparently, that English isn't
needed for one of its domesticportfolio companies.
So they hired a Japanese-onlyspeaking CEO.
Chase Stratton (04:32):
It seems logical on the surface for a domestic
company.
Tessa Sourceley (04:34):
Right.
But then that CEO later lost akey international client because
he misinterpreted a crucialEnglish language contract
clause.
Chase Stratton (04:42):
Ouch.
Tessa Sourceley (04:43):
Yeah, it really makes you think, doesn't it?
Even in these deals that seempurely domestic, why is
bilingualism often still missioncritical, especially when you
think about cross-bordercompliance or maybe aiming for a
global exit down the line?
Chase Stratton (04:55):
That's a powerful lesson.
Just the hidden costs oflanguage barriers, even when you
think you don't need it.
But OK, stepping back a bit,it's also increasingly common,
we found, for retired orsemi-retired Right, as
Tessa Sourceley (05:11):
portfolio advisors or maybe interim CEOs.
Chase Stratton (05:14):
Exactly.
And get this stat.
Over 60% of new portfolioexecutives in domestic mid-cap
PE deals between 2022 and 2024were actually in their 50s or
older.
Tessa Sourceley (05:26):
That is interesting.
Chase Stratton (05:27):
It is.
It's a fascinating counterpointto the usual narrative, isn't
it?
Japan's aging population, oftenframed as this big challenge,
is actually proving to be astrategic talent goldmine for PE
in some ways, providingexperienced hands for these
complex turnarounds.
Tessa Sourceley (05:42):
A source of stability and deep industry
knowledge, perhaps.
Chase Stratton (05:45):
Precisely.
So given this very specifictalent need and the cultural
landscape we've touched on, howare the executive recruiters
adapting their strategies?
How are they finding thesepeople?
What we've discovered is prettyinteresting.
they're mapping talentpipelines even before deals
actually close.
Tessa Sourceley (06:00):
Ah, the pre-diligence hiring.
Chase Stratton (06:02):
Exactly.
Meaning they're lining up keytalent, key leadership, even
before the acquisition isfinalized.
The idea is to hit the groundrunning on day one.
No time wasted.
Tessa Sourceley (06:13):
Yeah, that makes sense.
There's a very strong emphasisnow on value creation playbooks,
on leveraging interim topermanent placements, try before
you buy, essentially.
And crucially, identifyingculturally aligned leadership
leadership.
They're really thinking severalsteps ahead.
It's become much morestrategic.
Chase Stratton (06:30):
But even with these advanced strategies,
there's still significanthurdles, right?
Tessa Sourceley (06:34):
Oh, definitely.
Chase Stratton (06:35):
Japanese executives traditionally often
show a degree of risk aversioncompared to, say, their U.S.
counterparts.
There's strong loyalty,sometimes to previous employers.
Tessa Sourceley (06:45):
And sometimes just limited familiarity with
the private equity world itself,how it works, the pace, the
expectations.
Chase Stratton (06:51):
Yeah.
And the cultural nuances can beunexpected.
Here's a memorable anecdotethat illustrates Why?
What happened?
Because the new incoming CEOrefused to let the founder's cat
Stay in the office.
Tessa Sourceley (07:12):
The cat.
You're joking.
A deal broke down over a cat.
Chase Stratton (07:15):
A cat.
It sounds absurd, but it reallyunderscores how profoundly
culture can influence thesedeals, right?
Tessa Sourceley (07:21):
Wow.
What that really highlights, Isuppose, is that cultural
integration in Japan's founderled companies isn't just about
org charts and reporting lines.
Sometimes it boils down toseemingly minor details like
pets and pride.
Chase Stratton (07:34):
Absolutely.
Tessa Sourceley (07:35):
It really makes you question just how deep does
that understanding of localculture need to go in these
really high stakes deals.
It's not trivial.
Chase Stratton (07:43):
Not at all.
And speaking of surprisingdevelopments, maybe one of the
most unexpected shifts oursources pointed to is the rise
of the private equity CRO.
Tessa Sourceley (07:52):
Yes.
The chief human resourcesofficer role, but specifically
geared for PE.
Chase Stratton (07:57):
Exactly.
PE firms are now installingCROs or sometimes dedicated
talent advisers very early inthe process.
We're talking often from dayone of the deal.
Tessa Sourceley (08:05):
And these aren't your traditional HR
roles, are they?
They're tasked with buildingculture fast executing major
organizational redesigns,retaining the absolute
high-impact talent And all ofthis within incredibly short
time frames.
It's an incredibly demandinghigh pressure role.
Chase Stratton (08:22):
Totally.
As one CHRO recounted, and I'mparaphrasing slightly here, but
the gist was, we were expectedto build a new HR system, hire a
30-person team, fire threeunderperformers, and develop a
retention strategy all beforethe next board meeting.
Tessa Sourceley (08:38):
And how long did they have?
Chase Stratton (08:39):
Six weeks.
Tessa Sourceley (08:40):
Six weeks.
That's
Chase Stratton (08:41):
intense.
It sounds almost impossible.
Tessa Sourceley (08:43):
It absolutely does.
And what that highlights, Ithink, is a fundamental velocity
You've got the traditional paceof Japanese corporate culture,
which can be more measured, moreconsensus-driven, clashing
head-on with PEs, intense timeis money, results now, ethos.
It's a real clash of speeds,and these CHROs are right there
in the thick of it.
Chase Stratton (09:02):
Fascinating pressure point.
So, okay, we know the demand isthere.
We know the challenges.
Who are the actual playersmaking these crucial
connections, the executivesearch firms linking the PE
funds with this specializedtalent?
Tessa Sourceley (09:16):
Well, the big global firms are definitely
playing a major role.
Our sources highlighted thatfirms like Hydric and Struggles,
Egon Zender, Korn Ferry, theyall now have dedicated private
equity practices in Japan.
Chase Stratton (09:29):
So they've recognized the need for
specialization.
Tessa Sourceley (09:31):
Exactly.
And alongside them, you alsohave smaller boutique firms and
sector-focused recruiters whoare absolutely crucial for
sourcing some of those reallyniche operational leaders.
And critically, they work veryclosely with the fund partners
themselves, not just, say, theHR departments.
It's about ensuring the talentacquisition is perfectly aligned
with the deal strategy and thespecific value creation plan for
(09:52):
that company.
Chase Stratton (09:53):
Right.
It's deeply strategic.
Tessa Sourceley (09:55):
Absolutely.
And the sources mentionedspecific leading figures, you
know, people like Aya Inuma,Suri Hatonda, Stephen Mark
Greenberg at Hydric.
At Egon Zender, you've got YujiTokunaga and Kenichi Uwata.
And over at Korn Ferry, PeterRakue, Peter Matsumoto, Milana
Khodorkovskaya are key names intheir private funds practice.
Okay.
(10:15):
These individuals and otherslike them, they bring really
deep strategic insights into howthese PE-led searches have to
be conducted in Japan today.
It covers everything fromidentifying executives with very
specific turnaround skills allthe way to aligning leadership
styles with the core valuecreation goals.
It really highlights thatexecutive search isn't just a
(10:35):
support function here.
It's becoming truly missioncritical in this evolving
landscape.
Chase Stratton (10:40):
That makes a lot of sense.
So let's try and tie this alltogether.
What does this all mean for youlistening in?
Tessa Sourceley (10:45):
Well, first, Japan's private equity market is
clearly booming.
That's undeniable.
But it requires this new typeof fast, agile leadership that,
frankly, traditional recruitingchannels often just don't
provide.
Chase Stratton (10:56):
And executive search firms are right there on
the front lines building thesepower player pipelines tailored
to very specific portfoliocompany value creation
strategies.
Tessa Sourceley (11:05):
And success in this really high stakes
recruiting, it hinges on thatdeep understanding of both the
cultural nuances we talkedabout, like the cat, and the
rapid fire dynamics of a deal.
Japan's evolving PE marketisn't just creating
opportunities for the fundsthemselves.
It's also opening upsignificant new doors for
recruiters, for those specialistCHROs, and for ambitious
(11:28):
executives who have those proventurnaround capabilities.
Chase Stratton (11:32):
Our deep dive today, I think, reveals this
really fascinating intersectionof global finance and local
culture, seeing how a countryoften known for its traditions
is adapting, sometimes maybestruggling, but adapting to the
aggressive pace of privateequity and demanding a whole new
caliber of leadership in theprocess.
Tessa Sourceley (11:50):
Which leads to maybe a final thought or
question for you to consider.
As global capital continues toflow into new markets beyond
Japan, how do you think talentdemands in other regions might
be similarly reshaped?
Reshaped by that unique blendof local culture, local
traditions, and theseglobalizing business objectives
from things like private equity?
(12:11):
It's a pattern we might seerepeating elsewhere.
Chase Stratton (12:14):
That's a great question to ponder Thank you for
joining us on this deep dive.
We hope you feel a little morewell-informed and perhaps a lot
more curious about these hiddencurrents shaping global
leadership today.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.