Japan Country Manager &
Go-to-Market Team
Partnering with Square was one of the most rewarding go-to-market projects we’ve undertaken in our twenty-year career. Prior to its IPO, we partnered with Square ahead of its service launch in Japan to build out its go-to-market team and hire Square’s first leadership for its first international market.
The Challenge.
Square was making headlines in the US, however the company was relatively unknown in Japan. Japan had yet to see its next wave of innovation-focused companies resulting in a shortage of global talent and the payment space was dominated by large local players with legacy solutions. We partnered with Square’s local and global leadership in aligning on core leadership roles that were critical ahead of its anticipated Japan service launch.
Our Approach.
To support Square’s Japan launch successfully, we didn’t just search; we strategically mapped talent across adjacent industries like digital marketplaces, payments, global tech and multinational organizations. Recognizing a niche pool of candidates with both local executional strength and global fluency, we partnered closely with Square’s leadership to build critical functional teams from the ground up.
From crafting a localized employer value proposition to nurturing passive candidate interest, we led full-cycle engagement, including marketing, talent advisory, interview logistics, and even hosting Square’s team in our office. Our approach ensured not only a strong market entry but a team truly built to scale.
The Outcome.
We were selected as Square’s exclusive recruitment partner after successfully hiring the entirety of its first go-to-market team in Japan. This included ten critical hires across Sales and Partnerships, Customer Experience, Compliance and Risk Operations, and Administration. These hires formed the foundation of Square’s Japan operations.
In 2013, we were re-engaged to lead the search for Square’s Japan General Manager, a pivotal leadership role during their expansion. Since then, Square has gone public, launched multiple services and partnerships in Japan, and grown its local presence to support thousands of merchants and hundreds of employees. From the first hire to long-term success, we are proud to have played a role in Square’s journey in Japan.
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Country Manager, Japan
Head of Support & Engagement, JP
Head of Enterprise Sales, JP
Head of Partnerships, JP
Office Manager, JP
Risk Operations Lead, JP
Risk Operations Analyst, JP
Risk Operations Analyst, JP
Customer Success Lead, JP
Community Manager, JP