Makoto Suhara is a distinguished international business strategist with a career spanning over a decade at leading consulting firms across the United States, Europe, and Asia. His expertise facilitates cross-border business expansions, particularly between Japan and international markets.
Key Career Highlights:
- Extensive consulting experience in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Europe, China, and Southeast Asia
- Former Japan Vice President of a prominent American business intelligence firm
- The fund manager for the "Fukushima Growth Industry Development Fund" in collaboration with NEC Capital Solutions and Shinsei Bank
- Asia Representative for an American forensic service provider
- Japan Branch Manager of a French strategy consulting firm
In January 2019, Suhara became Special Assistant to the Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia and Japan Representative of Enterprise Estonia. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in:
- Facilitating Estonian companies' entry into the Japanese market
- Supporting Japanese investments in Estonia
- Advising on digital transformation initiatives for municipalities across Japan
- Contributing to smart city and super city policy development and implementation
Academic Pursuits:
Suhara transitioned to academia in April 2021, pursuing a Ph.D. in Business Administration at Aoyama Gakuin University's Graduate School of Business. He is also a researcher at the university's SDGs Human Resource Development Partnership Institute.
Current Roles:
- Advisor to local governments across Japan on new industry creation, regional development, and digital transformation in healthcare and education
- Special researcher at the Yuda Onsen Research Institute in Yamaguchi City
Education:
- MBA from the University of Southern California, CA, USA
- EMBA from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, PRC
- MBA (Public Sector) from Willamette University, OR. USA
- BA from Bushnell University, OR. USA
- BA from Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
Makoto Suhara's diverse international business experience and academic pursuits make him a valuable asset in bridging global business practices and local development strategies in Japan.
