Professional Expertise

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 over 19 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.

Paula left investment banking to establish her own executive coaching and corporate training company. She trained as an executive coach, with the Coaches Training Institute in Tokyo, as well as by distance learning with the International Coach Academy.

Recent Coaching Assignments

• Chief Sales Officer of the Japan office of a major US insurance company to work on communication issues and build team relationships
• Managing director of a European investment bank to assume a greater leadership role and work on individual goals
• President of the Japan operations of a major US investment fund to work on succession issues and cross-cultural communication
• 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 issues

Education and Professional Affiliations

• B.A., French and Spanish, University of Nottingham, UK
• Chartered Financial Analyst
• Qualified from the Professional Certified Coach Program from the International Coach Academy
• Lived in Japan for over 19 years and speaks fluent Japanese