ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Takashi Kawamoto

Takashi Kawamoto is a Japan-born strategic advisor with a rare career spanning diplomacy, consulting, international organizations, and corporate leadership at the headquarters of a listed Japanese company.

He is recognized not only for bridging silos — translating between strategy, governance, M&A, and communications — but also for his ability to step inside organizations and drive execution alongside CEOs and boards.

For more than 15 years, Takashi has advised leaders on high-stakes cross-border challenges: corporate transformation, organizational restructuring, international market entry, M&A integration, and reputation and regulatory risk. His career path includes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Deloitte, the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, Brunswick Group, and Kansai Paint Co., Ltd., where he served as Head of Global M&A and Corporate Planning.

In 2025, he founded Global Samurai Advisory, LLC to act as an outsourced corporate planning function for executives navigating the U.S.–Japan corridor. Unlike traditional consultants who deliver frameworks and reports, he works as an embedded senior strategist — supplementing leadership teams, aligning Japanese headquarters with overseas operations, and helping clients move from strategy to execution through trusted networks and cultural fluency.

Founder’s Journey: A Career Without Borders

Takashi Kawamoto’s career has spanned diplomacy, consulting, international organizations, corporate communications, and executive leadership at the headquarters of a Japanese listed company — an uncommon trajectory that prepared him to serve as a trusted advisor on complex, cross-border challenges.

He began his career at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he developed expertise in diplomacy, negotiation, and geopolitical strategy. His overseas posting in Honolulu further deepened his perspective on U.S.–Japan security and cultural relations.

Transitioning into the private sector, Takashi joined Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting, advising major Japanese corporations and policymakers on corporate strategy, growth transformation, and regulatory affairs. His work ranged from operational planning to national energy and cybersecurity policy, earning recognition as “Best Consultant of the Year” among more than 2,000 peers.

At the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Takashi broadened his scope to global institutions, working at the intersection of business, government, and policy. These roles strengthened his ability to connect system-level strategy with organizational execution.

As a consultant at Brunswick Group in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., he advised C-suite executives on some of the most sensitive issues companies face: contentious M&A, shareholder activism, cybersecurity crises, litigation, and corporate transformation. He became known for guiding leaders through moments where reputation, regulation, and strategy collided.

Most recently, Takashi served as Head of Global M&A and Corporate Planning at Kansai Paint Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s largest listed manufacturers. There, he led the development of the company’s mid-term management plan, managed global deal origination and analysis, and restructured the corporate communications function — bringing global perspectives into a legacy Japanese organization.

In 2025, Takashi founded Global Samurai Advisory, LLC in the United States. Drawing on this rare combination of diplomacy, consulting, institutional, and corporate experience, he now partners with Japanese corporations, global investors, and multinational firms to bridge strategy, governance, and communications — helping leaders not just design strategies, but execute them across borders.

Career Timeline

| 2011–2014 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

  • Diplomatic Official, Tokyo — responsible for foreign policy briefings, inter-ministerial coordination, and international negotiations related to Japan’s national security and global diplomacy.

  • Researcher / Adviser to the Consul General, Honolulu — provided political and economic analysis on U.S.–Japan defense affairs, regional security, and cultural diplomacy, supporting outreach to local, state, and federal institutions.

| 2014–2016 | Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting, LLC (Tokyo)

  • Senior Consultant, Strategy & Operations — Advised major Japanese corporations on corporate strategy, growth transformation, operational planning, rule-making strategy, and regulatory affairs.

    • Served as policy advisor to the Government of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party on hydrogen/fuel cell economy and cybersecurity.

    • Honored as “Best Consultant of the Year” out of 2,000 professionals for leading pioneering initiatives and delivering impact across industries.

| 2016–2017 | World Economic Forum, Tokyo Office

  • Community Coordinator & Consultant — Facilitated high-level collaboration among global businesses, policymakers, and thought leaders in Japan, contributing to the Forum’s regional strategy and institutional outreach.

| 2017–2018 | United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (Brussels, Europe Office)

  • Associate Expert / Program Management Officer (selected as a Junior Professional Officer by the Government of Japan).

    • Navigated EU–UN engagement with the European Commission, European Parliament, and local governments on resilient infrastructure investment, climate change adaptation, and sustainable finance.

    • Helped shape global disaster risk reduction frameworks for the post-2015 UN agenda.

| 2018–2023 | Brunswick Group (Tokyo & Washington, D.C.)

  • Associate (Founding Member, Tokyo Office); later Director, U.S.–Japan Business Lead (Washington).

    • Advised C-suite executives on high-stakes issues including:
      – Contentious M&A and shareholder activism
      – Complex litigation and regulatory investigations
      – Cybersecurity breaches and corporate fraud
      – Cross-cultural employee engagement and change management

    • Served as Board Member of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in New York, frequent speaker at universities and business forums, and lead author of joint research on cross-border M&A with Keidanren USA.

| 2023–2025 | Kansai Paint Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Global Headquarters)

  • Director — M&A Strategy, Public Relations, and Corporate Planning.

    • First external executive appointed at director-level to drive corporate transformation.

    • Led development of the company’s 18th Mid-Term Management Plan, oversaw group-wide M&A strategy, and restructured the corporate communications function.

    • Focused on modernizing a legacy organization by integrating global perspectives, strengthening internal capabilities, and expanding the international deal pipeline.

| 2025–Present | Global Samurai Advisory, LLC (United States)

  • Founder & Managing Partner.

    • Established to serve as a U.S.-based strategic partner for Japanese corporations, global investors, and multinational firms engaging across the U.S.–Japan corridor.

    • Provides clients with a rare combination of strategic clarity, cross-cultural fluency, and execution capability, functioning as an outsourced senior staff office for CEOs and corporate planning leaders.