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Overview / Purpose of the position
The Managing Director, Japan leads the Japan Assurance business with full country P&L accountability and is responsible for delivering sustainable, profitable growth through clear strategy, disciplined execution and strong client delivery. The role provides visible commercial leadership across Japan—setting the growth agenda, driving key account retention and expansion (including strategically important enterprise clients), and ensuring the right focus on pipeline, conversion and delivery performance. It grows and evolves our core offerings and builds momentum in priority growth areas aligned to market needs and BSI’s strategy—within BSI Group governance and compliance frameworks. Working closely with global business lines and functions, the Managing Director shapes Japan’s country strategy and ensures aligned execution. As the senior BSI representative in Japan, this role builds trusted relationships with clients, strategic partners, and key external stakeholders including government and industry bodies, and actively engages with the wider business community to reinforce BSI’s reputation for all business divisions based out of Japan.
In line with the BSI Leadership Framework for senior leaders, the Managing Director is expected to build trusted partnerships, shape our future impact, and inspire performance to achieve our purpose.
Responsibilities & Accountabilities
Set the strategic direction and operating plan for Japan to deliver sustainable, profitable growth; shape priorities and governance that balance near-term delivery with long-term value creation.
Own Japan’s overall performance, including delivery of agreed growth and contribution outcomes; lead commercial performance governance (pipeline, forecast, conversion and pricing discipline) and make the resource choices and executive interventions needed to deliver sustainably within Group governance.
Build trusted partnerships as the senior BSI representative in Japan—developing an ecosystem of commercial and delivery partners, strengthening relationships with key stakeholders (including government and industry bodies), and engaging the wider business community—to reinforce BSI’s reputation and develop partner-enabled routes to market that scale priority growth areas.
Inspire performance through the leadership team—setting clear outcomes, coaching leaders, and building accountability—while staying close to clients and delivery at the right altitude.
Protect and expand key accounts, including strategically important enterprise clients; build executive relationships and ensure robust account plans.
Strengthen and modernise Japan’s core offerings, including clear value proposition and pricing discipline, working in partnership with APAC and global business lines and functions to shape strategy, share market insight, and deliver integrated solutions for Japan and global enterprise clients.
Build organisational capability and culture: lead and develop the leadership team, strengthen succession, and foster a high-trust, inclusive environment that improves engagement, organisational health and retention; role-model respectful leadership and address behaviours that undermine performance and wellbeing.
Lead regulated/accredited operations with a strong quality and compliance mindset—ensuring accreditation requirements, audit cycles, and compliance frameworks are met; proactively identify and manage impartiality and delivery risks in line with BSI governance.
Ensure Japan operations comply with all relevant laws and regulations and BSI Group Policies and Procedures, including Health, Safety & Wellbeing, Anti-Bribery & Corruption, Anti-Modern Slavery, Anti-Money Laundering, and the Impartiality Code of Conduct.
As the senior country representative, partner closely with the People team to engage effectively with unions/employee representatives, operate within Japanese labour law and People governance, ensuring relevant workplace matters are managed appropriately with timely escalation and decision-making.
Person Specification
Senior commercial leadership experience in a B2B environment with full country or business-unit scope, including ownership of growth strategy and performance governance.
Experience in assurance, regulated/accredited operations, professional services, or adjacent risk/trust-related sectors; familiarity with accreditation/audit cycles, compliance frameworks, and impartiality risk management is a plus.
Track record delivering profitable growth while strengthening organisational health—improving engagement, building trust, and embedding effective leadership practices through periods of change.
Proven ability to develop strategic partnerships and alliances (commercial and delivery), and to build credibility with senior stakeholders across the business community, industry bodies and relevant institutions.
Proven capability to lead culture and ways-of-working transformation—rebuilding trust, addressing unhelpful leadership behaviours, and creating an environment where people can perform at their best.
Experience operating in a matrixed, international organisation and influencing across functions and business lines.
Demonstrated experience and leadership for holistic business and organisation turnaround
Experience leading innovation/service expansion or portfolio evolution.
Sets direction, makes sound trade-offs, and leads through a strong leadership team (not by running day-to-day sales/operations).
Builds trusted partnerships with senior clients and stakeholders; credible external representative for BSI in Japan, including active engagement with the business community and industry bodies.
Leads change with curiosity and a future-facing mindset; uses insight to shape strategy and improve performance.
Creates a high-trust, inclusive culture and develops leaders through coaching and feedback.
Fluent English (international business context) and Japanese.
Degree (or equivalent experience) is essential. Postgraduate qualification (MBA/masters) or relevant professional certification is desirable.
About Us
BSI is a business improvement and standards company and for over a century BSI has been recognized for having a positive impact on organizations and society, building trust and enhancing lives.
Today BSI partners with more than 77,500 clients in 195 countries and engages with a 15,000 strong global community of experts, industry and consumer groups, organizations and governments.
Utilizing its extensive expertise in key industry sectors - including automotive, aerospace, built environment, food and retail, and healthcare - BSI delivers on its purpose by helping its clients fulfil theirs.
Living by our core values of Client-Centricity, Agility, and Collaboration, BSI provides organizations with the confidence to grow by partnering with them to tackle society’s critical issues – from climate change to building trust in digital transformation and everything in between - to accelerate progress towards a better society and a sustainable world.
BSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
