Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is a professional football club based in Paris, widely recognized as one of the most successful and globally popular teams in French football. Known for its star-studded squads and strong financial backing, PSG has dominated domestic competitions in recent years and competes regularly in top European tournaments.
Founded: 1970
Founders: Guy Crescent, Pierre-Etienne Guyot
Headquarters: Paris, France
Industry: Professional Sports (Football / Soccer)
Notable Info: PSG is owned by Qatar Sports Investments and plays home matches at the Parc des Princes. The club has attracted many global stars and is one of the most valuable football brands in the world.
Japan Launch & Go-to-Market
We supported Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in launching its presence in Japan by securing a highly capable Japan General Manager to build and lead the market from the ground up. The successful candidate brought optimism, creative problem-solving, and hands-on leadership to establish PSG’s local operations in Tokyo, strengthen strategic partnerships, and drive long-term brand growth across the region.
Challenges
Limited Bilingual Talent Pool : Japan has a very small pool of bilingual professionals, particularly in the niche area of international sports management.
Complex Candidate Requirements: The role required a rare mix of language ability, sports industry expertise, cultural understanding, and risk propensity.
Lack of Local Infrastructure – Candidates had to be comfortable joining PSG without an established entity in Japan and working remotely as a contractor.
Outcomes
Successful Executive Hire – After a year-long search, the team placed a General Manager who fully met PSG’s requirements..
Stronger Diversity in Leadership – The selected candidate brought valuable representation as a female leader in a male-dominated industry
Expanded Regional Impact – The hire continues to grow PSG’s presence in Asia, with responsibilities now including South Korea
The Challenge
Expanding into Japan presented a uniquely complex search. The local talent pool for bilingual professionals is limited, and it becomes significantly smaller when narrowed to individuals with experience in international sports management. Identifying candidates with the right combination of language fluency, sports industry expertise, cultural understanding, and entrepreneurial mindset proved particularly challenging.
In addition, PSG did not yet have a formal entity or operational infrastructure in Japan, requiring the ideal candidate to be comfortable operating independently and initially working in a non-traditional employment structure. This combination of factors made the search both highly specialized and extremely competitive.
The Approach
Given the limited talent pool, we began by conducting a comprehensive market mapping exercise across relevant sports leagues, clubs, and agencies. This enabled us to identify individuals with international exposure, including professionals working for Japanese teams seeking global audiences and those employed by international sports organizations operating in Japan.
We then engaged with a targeted group of candidates, carefully assessing their professional experience and evaluating how directly their backgrounds aligned with PSG’s strategic goals. Beyond technical qualifications, we prioritized individuals who demonstrated adaptability, leadership potential, and an understanding of the unique conditions of launching a new market.
The final shortlist consisted of candidates who not only met the role’s requirements but were also aligned with the realities of building PSG’s presence locally, including working remotely and initially operating as a self-contracted professional before the establishment of a formal office.
The Outcome
After a year-long search, we successfully placed a Japan General Manager who fully met PSG’s requirements and brought additional strengths in leadership and market vision. The appointment also contributed to greater diversity in the industry, with the selected candidate representing a female leader in a traditionally male-dominated sector.
Following a four-month negotiation process between PSG and the candidate, the appointment was finalized. Since joining, the General Manager has continued to expand PSG’s presence across Asia, with responsibilities now extending beyond Japan to include market development in South Korea.