SmartNews is a technology company that operates a news aggregation app designed to deliver curated news from major publishers using machine learning and data analytics. The platform focuses on providing fast, personalized news discovery to millions of users worldwide.
Founded: 2012
Founders: Ken Suzuki, Kaisei Hamamoto
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Industry:Technology / Digital Media / News Aggregation
Notable Info:SmartNews has become one of Japan’s most widely used news apps and has expanded internationally, particularly in the United States, partnering with hundreds of global publishers to distribute news content on its platform
CEO Office Strategic Hire
SmartNews, one of Japan’s fastest-growing technology companies and a global news aggregation platform, partnered with us to support a critical hire within its CEO Office. The role was designed to drive strategic, company-wide initiatives while supporting global expansion and data-driven decision-making at the highest levels of the organization.
Challenges
Outcomes
Hybrid Strategic and Technical Requirements: The role required a rare combination of strategicacumen and advanced data science expertise.
Niche Talent Pool: Finding candidates able to operate in a CEO Office while leading data-driven initiatives significantly limited the available talent.
Limited Employer Awareness: Many candidates were only loosely familiar with SmartNews, requiring additional effort to position the opportunity.
Successful Strategic Hire: The search resulted in the appointment of a candidate with strong strategic and data science expertise.
Competitive Offer Win: The candidate ultimately chose SmartNews despite considering multiple competing opportunities.
Enhanced CEO Office Capability: The hire will support SmartNews’s global strategy and data-driven initiatives starting in 2025.
The Challenge
SmartNews required a highly specialized professional capable of operating at the intersection of strategy, data science, and executive leadership. The role demanded both strategic thinking and strong technical proficiency, including hands-on experience with tools such as MySQL, Python, and Tableau.
In addition, the position sat within the CEO Office, meaning the successful candidate needed the credibility and communication skills to work directly with senior leadership while driving complex cross-functional initiatives.
Another challenge was employer awareness: although SmartNews is a rapidly growing technology company, many potential candidates were only loosely familiar with the platform, requiring additional effort to clearly communicate the company’s mission, growth trajectory, and the strategic importance of the role.
The Approach
To identify the right candidate, we conducted a targeted search across several talent pools, including CEO Offices at leading technology companies, strategy consulting firms, and adjacent industries with strong analytical and strategic capabilities.
Recognizing the importance of employer positioning, we worked closely with SmartNews to articulate a compelling narrative around the company’s mission, global ambitions, and the impact the role would have on shaping the organization’s future. This helped engage candidates who were not previously familiar with the company.
Through personalized outreach, in-depth candidate discussions, and close collaboration with SmartNews leadership, we developed a shortlist of professionals capable of combining strategic insight with advanced technical expertise.
The Outcome
The search resulted in the successful identification of a candidate with the ideal blend of strategic perspective and strong data science capabilities. Given their highly sought-after skill set, the candidate was evaluating multiple opportunities at the time.
Rather than relying on pressure-driven recruitment tactics, we focused on providing thoughtful guidance around the role’s long-term impact and the candidate’s potential career trajectory within SmartNews. This approach ultimately led the candidate to select SmartNews, with the appointment scheduled to begin in 2025.
The hire strengthens the capabilities of the CEO Office and supports SmartNews’s continued global growth through data-driven strategic initiatives.