INSIGHTS / LEADERSHIP & MARKET ENTRY
What building Japan takes.
Company case studies on leadership, hiring and market entry. Public-record analysis sits alongside searches we have run ourselves.
Discuss a search →MURRAY CLARKE / FOUNDING PARTNER
Experience, applied with AI.
I’m Murray Clarke, founding partner of Aspiring Partners. I’ve spent more than 20 years in executive search in Japan, helping build four search firms. That includes years helping VMware hire its leadership team, two years internally during hypergrowth, and the executive-search joint venture I built with ManpowerGroup before selling my interest to the group.
These case studies connect the decisions behind a Japan leadership hire with what happens in the business afterwards. Some cover searches we ran; others analyse public company records.
This time, we’ve built our own platform and use AI extensively in the work. It helps me apply that experience more broadly in support of candidates, clients and the recruiters working with us. The technology supports the research and preparation; I remain accountable for the judgment and relationships.
More about Murray and Aspiring Partners →The Trade Desk vs Criteo in Japan: Which Agency Sells Your Product Decides Who You Hire
The Trade Desk sells only through agencies and hired its Japan heads from Dentsu and Hakuhodo. Criteo grew on Yahoo! JAPAN and the independent agencies. What that means for the Japan hire.
Omniture Japan: One Employee in 2004, and the Japan Country Managers It Produced
Omniture Japan started in 2004 with one employee and no revenue. Its alumni went on to run the Japan businesses of Glean, DeepL, Domo, Looker, GitLab, Pendo and Elastic.
Braze vs HubSpot in Japan: Seven Leadership Changes, a Joint Venture and What Held the Business Together
HubSpot has changed who runs Japan seven times in ten years. Braze entered through a joint venture and once had its US president as Japan president. How each structure handled the turnover.