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Paula Sugawara

Senior Executive Coach
Goodstone Group LLC
Tokyo, Japan
Email:  ps*******@************up.com 
Phone: (81) 80-4114-37643

Education and Professional Affiliations
  • Certified Financial Analyst, 1994
  • Series 16 Supervisory Analyst, 1996
  • Coaches Training Institute, 2004
  • ICA Professional Certified Coach Program, 2005
  • Certified in a range of contemporary assessment and typing tools including
  • MBTI Step I and II, Strengthscope, The Hogan Inventory, DiSC, and Management Research Group Leadership Effectiveness Analysis 360
  • Harrison Assessments certification (expected in March 2020)
Publications

  • Contributor to Performance Coaching by Carol Wilson

Professional Experience

Paula is an executive coach based in Tokyo who works with Japanese organizations and foreign companies in Japan to cultivate leadership talent and maximize the potential of senior leaders. She also delivers training programs covering leadership and management skills, cross-cultural communications, conflict resolution, coaching skills, embracing diversity, and thinking outside the box. She delivers these programs in both English and Japanese.

Paula has been working in Japan for more than 30 years, and this experience gives her unique insights into the issues leaders in Japan are likely to face. She is a positive thinker and enjoys working with individuals to achieve their goals.  Her strengths lie in resolving cross-cultural communication issues, enabling business strategy and execution, and enhancing leadership and management skills.

For 14 years, Paula worked in investment banking in Tokyo.  As an equity analyst, she was responsible for a range of industries including Japanese machinery, heavy industry, gas, and oil while at Nomura Securities, Lehman Brothers, and Goldman Sachs.  During this time she was ranked several times in the Nikkei Industrial Analyst rankings. Her experience in investment banking gave her the opportunity to maintain regular contact with the leadership teams of many Japanese companies to  discuss the issues they face in the corporate and industrial world.

In addition, Paula spent 8 years in senior management – most recently as country manager for Lee Hecht Harrison where she was responsible for leading the talent development and outplacement business in Japan. This experience has added to her coaching portfolio by giving her an extra level of understanding of the challenges that c-suite executives face on a daily basis.

Recent Coaching Experience

  • Japan CEO of a global household appliance manufacturer to focus on implementing change in the organization
  • Japan CEO of a major global auto maker to work on his leadership style
  • Japan CEO of international brand/marketing consultancy to support him in his new role as CEO
  • Japan CEO of major US TV network to support him on improving team effectiveness
  • Japan CEO of US leisure goods brand to work on career change and succession planning
  • Japan CEO of a global luxury goods maker to establish a new strategy and change the corporate environment
  • CEO of a major international insurance company to support him in his succession to the role from that of CSO.
  • Chief Sales Officer of the Japan office of a major US insurance company to work on communication issues and build team relationships
  • Senior partner in Japan private equity firm to work on effectively leading the team locally
  • Senior director at US private equity firm in Japan focusing on communication style and connecting with clients
  • Japan-based managing director of a European investment bank to assume a greater leadership role and work on individual goals
  • CEO of the Japan operations of a major US investment fund to work on succession issues and cross-cultural communication
  • R&D Head at global candy and food manufacturer to work on establishing a high performing team
  • Group of high-performing women at a European investment bank to maximize their contribution to the organization
  • Senior partner at a Japan-based US law firm to work on management skills and communication
  • Next generation directors as part of a success planning strategy for a global pharma company

Career History

Independent Coach and Consultant (2019 to present)
Executive coach – working with C-suite leaders in Japan and Asia. Facilitation of leadership development programs, team building sessions and training in key management skills.

Lee Hecht Harrison (2016-2019)
Managing Director/Country Manager for Japan)
Leading a team of approx. 40 FTE and associates to deliver optimal HR solutions to the Japan client base. Responsible for business development, driving country strategy, managing P&L and keeping corporate KPIs on track while consulting with clients regarding the best fit talent development solutions for their organization

Bridge Partnership  (2011-2016)
Director, Japan
Responsible for the start-up and leading the business for the new Japan office. Duties included the design of tailor-made learning programs for new clients, hiring and training associates to deliver program content, marketing initiatives to expand brand recognition in Japan and managing profitability and growth of the business.

Tokyo Consulting Services  (2004 -2016)
Executive coach and CEO/founder
Paula established her own coaching and training company offering services to clients in both Japanese and English. Clients served in a wide range of industries including financial services, hospitality, telecommunications and law.

Fidelity Investments, Japan (2002-2004)
Equities analyst, Investment Research Department
Paula was responsible for analysis and investment recommendation of pharmaceutical stocks to in-house fund managers.

Goldman Sachs, Japan (1997 – 2002)    
Equities analyst, vice president, Investment Research Department
At Goldman, Paula was responsible for coverage of machinery and shipbuilding sector. She was also a key member of Goldman Sach’s global capital goods team, and responsible for regular publication of global machinery reports and competitive analysis of global machinery counterparts.

Lehman Brothers (1993-1997)
Equities analyst, Investment Research Department
Paula covered electric power and gas utilities, oil companies, trading companies, machinery and shipbuilding sectors.