about us
We do not believe that our value lies merely in supporting our clients' HR policies and initiatives. Our true value is in elevating HR and organizational issues to topics of strategic importance at the executive level by considering their impact on corporate value.
Under the concept of "creating a positive cycle of value generation through corporate human capital and continuously supporting that cycle," we are committed to providing strong support for the value creation activities within our client companies, serving as a starting point for this positive cycle.
our members
All of our members at BoardHR Initiative have experience working at global consulting firms in the fields of HR & organization, and work as HR & organization experts in Japan, Europe, the United States, and Asia.
We share the latest knowledge we have cultivated globally on a daily basis, and as one team, we will provide our unique value to customers in Japan.
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Kuniko Takahashi
co-founding member
Representative of Takahashi Consulting Office
After more than 12 years of consulting experience in the human resources and organizational fields at Hay Consulting Group (currently Korn Ferry) and PwC Consulting (currently IBM), she worked in the corporate planning department of a Japanese manufacturing company and participated in the management of an agricultural venture company.
Currently, as an independent consultant, she participates in various consulting projects and human resource development programs in the fields of personnel, organization, and regional revitalization. She led WICI (The World Intellectual Capital/Assets Initiatives) Human Capital Subcommittee (2022-2023), co-led BI-WICI joint research “The Feature of Human Capital Governance” with David Creelman (2024), and contributed NIKKEI integrated award (2022, 2023, 2024) as a judge.
Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Commerce MBA
Yuhikaku, Profit Margin Gap between Japanese and American Companies, Edited by Takayuki Itami (Chapter 1, Chapter 3) Toyo Keizai “Corporate Strategy White Paper III”; Edited by Hiroyuki Itami (Chapter 3, Chapter 5) BoardHR Initiative White Paper “Superior CEO's Competencies”
～Greetings～ It is very reassuring to be able to work with Kenichiro Akiyama and David Creelman, professionals with a wealth of experience and achievements in the field of organizational and personnel consulting on a global basis. I myself have had the opportunity to work as a management member of a venture company and as a management member of a venture company, as well as consulting experience in the human resources field at a global firm. We will mobilize all of our knowledge and insights. I am very much looking forward to being of service to investors and managers on the axis of organizational and HR practices.
Kenichiro Akiyama
co-founding member
Representative Director of Minori Management Institute Co., Ltd.,
After gaining practical experience at Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Isuzu Motors Ltd., DHL Japan, etc., he became a partner of Hay Consulting Group (currently Korn Ferry) and was a strategic consulting service provider at the former PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting (currently IBM). He has over 25 years of experience in consulting, mainly in the areas of organization/human resources/strategy. He has supported various companies around the world, mainly in Japan, but also in Europe and the United States. In 2002, he promoted the integration of Pwcc and IBM personnel systems as the personnel manager of IBM Business Consulting Service (currently IBM Japan).
Graduated from Faculty of Commerce, Hitotsubashi University
He has written and contributed papers in the field of organizational and personnel systems, such as “Manual for introduction of performance-based wages by incentive system” and “Manual for evaluation and new wage system formulation” (Japan Management Association Management Center).
～Greetings～ I have been in HR consulting for many years. It is very reassuring to have David Creelman join this initiative as a co-founding member. He is a thought leader in all aspects of human resources in North America and Europe, and in recent years has played a leading role in defining the critical metrics and analytics relevant to corporate human capital. I am convinced that his knowledge will be of great help in the Board transformation of Japanese companies. In my own HR consulting experience, I remember receiving support from him when I started working as a pioneer in diversity management training in Japan, and receiving high praise from client companies for his broad and deep knowledge. I am very much looking forward to the fact that the BoardHR Initiative will be able to help companies that are trying to reform their boards for the advancement of Japanese companies, and that I will be able to work as a member of that effort.
David Creelman
co-founding member
CEO of Creelman Research
David has a long history in management research and consultancy. He served as Assistant Chair of the Human Capital Reporting Committee for Investors in SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)* which became the basis for the global ISO30414 standard. He was invited to speak about the coming reporting standards for the New Club of Paris at the World Bank in France.
With more than 30 years of consulting experience in the field of human resources on a global basis, he is currently developing the latest research and consulting activities in the field of human resources in Toronto and Kuala Lumpur. Activities include work on analytics, evidence-based management, and AI. He recently led a project for an EU agency on building AI readiness across the organization.
While at Hay Consulting Group (now Korn Ferry), he was among the first cohort of Canadians working with competency theory under the direct supervision of Dr Lyle & Signe Spencer. He also has collaborated with Professor Henry Mintzberg on new leadership development approaches; and with Columbia professor William Pasmore on change management training for leaders. He co-led BI-WICI joint research “The Feature of Human Capital” with Kuniko Takahashi (2024).
He has written many books, including as co-author of "Lead the Work; Navigating a world beyond employment" on the future of work and "The CMO of People" on employee-centered approaches to leadership.
Education:
University of Western Ontario MBA, MacMaster University Combined Hons. Biochemistry & Chemistry
*SHRM (The Society for Human Resource Management) is the world's largest organization for HR professionals, with 310,000 HR professionals in more than 165 countries.shrm.org
～Greetings～ Both corporate boards and leadership teams have long recognized the importance of human capital, but the concept was too vague (compared to financial capital) to have a solid, fact-based discussion. . Recently, however, it has become possible to more rigorously evaluate corporate risks and organizational capabilities from the perspective of human capital. There is no simple, formulaic method for doing so, but corporate stakeholders can gain insights that are often overlooked by clarifying the links between corporate strategy and human capital. Through the BoardHR Initiative, I am pleased to be able to provide Japanese CHROs and corporate boards with the latest knowledge and insights that I have gained and it is an honour to be working with such esteemed Japanese consultants as Akiyama san and Takahashi san.
Eiko Saitoh
Special Advisor
At Hay Consulting Group (now Korn Ferry), he was Head of Research, Senior Consultant, and Executive Compensation Practice Leader. For nearly 30 years, he has assisted many Japanese and foreign companies in designing and implementing evaluation compensation policies and systems based on duties and roles.
Major co-authored books include “Director Revolution” (Diamond Publishing), “Manual for Introduction of Performance-Based Wages by Incentive System” (Japan Management Association Management Center), “Evaluation and New Wage System Formulation Manual” (Japan Management Association Management Center), etc. .
Graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Studies, Sophia University. Graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a master's degree in demography and a master's degree in library and information science.