Tell us about your work journey.
I joined Bain’s Tokyo office as Associate Consultant in 2005 after graduating from Keio University. I chose Bain because I was fascinated by business impact on society and how management consultants could work with different clients and different industries on big issues from the beginning of their career. I loved what I did at Bain - learning a lot every single day. But then, I was unsure if this was what I wanted in the long run. So, I went for an MBA to widen my horizon and met people with non-consulting background. I also participated in an externship at my dream job in Agribusiness in Tanzania. During my MBA time, I reassessed who I was, what I enjoy, and where I wanted to be. As a result, I decided to choose Bain again as my post-MBA career. Working at Bain gave me meaningful purposes and joys of working. They also provided me flexibility with time, so I started to think of building a family. Becoming Partner wasn’t always easy but with ups and downs. I felt lost sometimes as it felt like a new job, but then I took joy in being an entrepreneur within Bain. I built a sustainability practice in the Tokyo office in 2020/21. And now, I am in Manila as a founding member of the new office in the Philippines.
Why Bain? To what do you credit your success here?
Bain continued to deliver on all three dimensions that were important to me - the purpose, the joy, and the flexibility. I have supportive collogues and friends who always had my back at Bain. I have a supportive family who are cheering me on.
Tell us the Bain project you were involved in that makes you the proudest.
There are many projects that are memorable and make me proud. One of them is with my longest client in Tokyo - one we have been supporting for more than 10 years. We did everything from operational improvement, pricing and business development with them - and we always achieved tangible results.
How has the diverse, inclusive environment that Bain endeavors to uphold supported you specifically?
DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) is one of the top priority initiatives at Bain. DEI concept has been evolving, and there is no finish line. We are constantly reminding ourselves to aim higher and get better at this. As one of the first senior position women to have children at the Tokyo office, I was poured with people who were eager to support and navigate new chapter of my life. Now I am constantly chatting with fellow parents to share experiences, tips and lessons learned. It is very powerful.
