Horton International Adds New Partner in Japan

July 7, 2022 – Horton International has expanded in the Asian market with the addition of Yokohama-based Makana Partners as its newest member firm. “Horton International has strengthened it’s on the ground delivery capability in Japan with the addition of Yan Sen and his team,” said Maneesh Ajmani, chairman of Horton International. “We look forward to supporting our clients in Japan with our global execution capability and our local market knowledge.” Horton International’s integration with Makana Partners will help to strengthen its position within the Asian market, while also providing the team in Japan with insight and expertise to aid in its future growth. 

Yan Sen Lu founded Makana Partners in 2019. To date, it has completed over 250 successful placements, and boasts a network of over 9,000 highly qualified bilingual candidates. “We’re extremely excited to join Horton International,” Mr. Lu said. “Not only do we share common values such as providing world-class service to our clients and candidates, and expanding our global footprint, but we see huge synergies across our business. Moving forward, we aspire to support Horton International to further grow its global brand.”

Senior directors Kazuhiko Mori and Michio Nagata said they are excited to bring together the experience of the two businesses to help transform the executive search industry. “We’re very pleased to be joining the Horton family and working together to offer superior services to our clients in Japan,” they said. “Japanese firms, particularly those in the technology, engineering, life science, and manufacturing sectors, are becoming increasingly willing to consider mid-career hires in specialized areas, breaking the Japanese tradition of recruiting new graduates once a year every April, rotating them internally every three to five years through completely different departments, to end up creating a group of generalists. At the same time, the focus on D&I globally is starting to break the old tradition among Japanese firms.”

“There is a limited and decreasing supply of bilingual candidates with strong professional skill-sets who could receive offers from both Japanese and foreign firms,” they said. “This is particularly the case as more Japanese firms expand into overseas markets. Unlike 10 to 20 years ago, changing jobs mid-career has become widely acceptable to everyone in Japan. Our partnership with Horton International will enable Makana Partners to have global access to top-tier talent for our clients and access to top-tier firms wanting to expand in Japan.”

Mr. Mori brings with him 14 years of experience working as head of HR, and today specializes in this particular area, along with country manager, financial services, operations and technology, and management consulting roles. Mr. Nagata has worked in business consultancy for 30 years and has an additional 20 years of experience in executive search. Today, he oversees Makana Partners’ automotive, chemical, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors.

Growing Global Firm

Recognized among the prestigious Hunt Scanlon Media’s Global 40 Executive Search Companies, Horton International is a global recruiting firm with more than 40 offices in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The firm works in close tandem with clients’ internal staffing organizations and line managers. Horton offers solutions to recruiting and resourcing challenges for a diverse range of organizations, from small, privately held start-ups to leading global corporations.

Horton recently expanded in Mexico with its merger of talent solutions and leadership firm Atabay Consulting. “At Horton International we have been consistently working on building our leadership team, our service offering, and our global presence,” said Mr. Ajmani. “This merger is yet another step in strengthening our offering for our regional and global clients.”

Atabay Consulting is a boutique search firm in Mexico. Specializing in executive search, management assessment, board services, and talent solutions, Atabay supports organizations in evaluating talent and preparing businesses for the future of leadership. As a result of the merger, the Horton International Mexico team will relocate to Atabay’s headquarters in Mexico City. “This merger represents a stronger future for the business, and I look forward to continuing to work amongst respected and likeminded professionals and friends,” said William Gaber, partner at Atabay Consulting. “I am pleased to have the chance to build a fantastic business together and look forward to the future.”

Related: Horton Group International Elects Chairman

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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