Boyden Appoints Head of Japan

August 6, 2021 – Boyden has named Stephen Irish as managing partner and head of Japan. Based in Tokyo, he joins Boyden’s global healthcare and life sciences practice, leading senior level searches for clients in Japan and Asia-Pacific, as well as those headquartered outside the region.

“Japan is a unique market, and requires specialist knowledge and understanding of the cultural nuances at the individual, organizational and government level,” said Mr. Irish. “Having worked with Japanese companies throughout my career, I am delighted to bring this experience into a collaborative, international environment with Boyden. For clients, it is particularly beneficial that Boyden has healthcare and life sciences consultants in headquarter locations across Europe and the United States, with deep market expertise and connections.”

Mr. Irish was formerly regional practice head, Asia-Pacific, healthcare and life sciences at a global executive search firm RGF Executive Search Japan, covering Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, Thailand and the Philippines. He brings more than 20 years’ experience in executive search with multinational organizations in the pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, life science and healthcare consulting sectors.

Before executive search, Mr. Irish worked in research and development with a leading Japanese food and chemical company. Bilingual in English and Japanese, he holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a doctorate in neuropsychology from Texas Christian University.

Boyden has a long history of serving publicly-traded, private and private equity-backed businesses in Japan, particularly in healthcare and life sciences, consumer and retail, industrial, financial services and technology.

“As globalization continues, clients in Japan today need bilingual, bi-cultural and diverse leaders who are mobile and capable of operating in a more international environment,” said Mr. Irish. “In another shift, the pandemic has introduced more online engagement in a hitherto traditional face-to-face culture. Leadership tenure is still robust, particularly in healthcare and life sciences, so long-term relationships are key, together with an intricate understanding of the motivators and aspirations among this complex talent pool.”

Expansion Plans

Boyden, headquartered in Purchase, NY, is a leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 65 offices in over 40 countries. It continues to expand and add talent across several global regions.

Here are some related Boyden news items from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Boyden has opened a new office in Dublin which will be led by partners Kevin Keegan and Maurice Carr. Dubbed Boyden Ireland, the location will focus on executive search, interim management, and leadership consulting. “Ireland has consolidated its position as a bridgehead for Europe and has significant potential both for our existing clients and domestic Irish firms,” said Nick Robeson, managing partner of Boyden U.K. and Ireland.

Boyden has named Gilbert J. Carrara as a managing partner and Americas leader for the firm’s healthcare and life sciences practice. Dr. Carrara joins Boyden from Battalia Winston, where he served as a partner. Before that, he was managing director, North American healthcare practice at Nicholson International.

Boyden opened a new office in Edmonton, Alberta, led by new partner Lindsay Osmond. “Serving our many clients in Northern Alberta has always been a priority to us at Boyden,” said Robert Travis, managing partner, Boyden United States and Canada. “We are thrilled that Lindsay will lead the office, bringing her exceptional drive and business leadership to clients and colleagues throughout Canada and worldwide.”

Boyden is expanding into Greece and Cyprus, hiring Anny S. Chatzikonstantinou to lead the firm’s new location. “We know these are challenging times for people in Greece and Cyprus and Boyden does not shy away from countries experiencing adversity,” said Trina Gordon, president and CEO of Boyden. “Greece has attracted significant foreign investment in recent years. The full array of Boyden’s global capabilities is at Anny’s disposal to help her clients maintain momentum in a complex environment.”

Boyden appointed Dina Akimova as managing partner and leader of the firm’s fully integrated brand, Boyden Russia. A distinguished expert in C-level executive search, Ms. Akimova first worked with Boyden in 2016, and returns to lead the business with a team of seven, including a number of former Boyden colleagues. Fluent in Russian, English and Italian, she offers broad industry experience, with particular expertise in industry and financial services. Ms. Akimova began her search career in 2005 and also gained prior recruiting experience with Ward Howell.

Boyden added Liesl Forve, who will serve as a partner and attend to clients throughout California. Boyden has seen strong growth in the U.S., particularly on the West Coast. The firm has doubled the number of partners there in the last six months. Joining Boyden’s global industrial, social impact and human resources practices, Ms. Forve has a strong track record in enabling clients to acquire C-suite and senior-level executives. She covers finance, human resources, marketing, sales and operations leaders.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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