Kearney installs Shigeru Sekinada at helm of Asia Pacific business

Global strategy and management consulting firm Kearney has appointed Shigeru Sekinada as the new Region Chair of its Asia Pacific business.

Based out of Japan, Shigeru Sekinada leads Kearney’s 16 offices in the region, stretching from Mumbai and Beijing all the way down to Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Sydney.

On the appointment, Bob Willen, Managing Partner and Chairman of Kearney, said that Sekinada will focus on “driving Kearney’s next era of growth in Asia Pacific”, a “richly diverse and rapidly evolving region that serves as a key driver of global economic growth.”

Sekinada has been with Kearney for over two decades and has steadily risen through the ranks since he began his career as a Business Analyst in 2003. In a dual role, he will continue to lead the Japan business.

The new Asia Pacific Chair has deep expertise in innovation, marketing, and corporate transformation, having worked with leading Japanese companies and over 200 start-ups in a diverse range of industries, including consumer goods, retail, and financial services.

In Japan, he played a key role in growing Kearney’s Digital Transformation practice, and helped setup the firm’s exclusive communities for CEOs, CSOs, and COOs

“We are delighted to welcome Shigeru as the next Region Chair of Asia Pacific. With Shigeru’s leadership and established relationships with clients in the region, I am confident that he will chart the next pathway of success and help our clients uncover more value,” said Willen.

On his ambitions, Sekinada said: “At Kearney, our ‘ikigai’ (reason for living) is to achieve essential rightness and I am honoured to be taking this spirit forward as we continue to inspire and empower our clients in regenerating and transforming their businesses across Asia Pacific.”

“Driven by a sense of purpose and the Japanese concept of ‘kando’, I am excited to drive our business in its next phase of growth through delivering the highest quality of services and expertise to our clients, as well as creating value for our people, society and planet.”

Sekinada succeeds Arjun Sethi, who held the role for around four years. Under his leadership, Kearney expanded its footprint in Asia Pacific, and entered new markets such as the Philippines and Thailand.