Activarch Consulting Co., Ltd. places great emphasis on communication with clients and highlights hands-on consulting from the client’s perspective as its defining strength. Centering on two axes — IT consulting and DX consulting — the company provides support across a wide range of phases from upstream to downstream.
We interviewed Koji Fukui, President and Representative Director of Activarch Consulting Co., Ltd., about why the company is committed to a hands-on consulting style and the kind of people it is looking for.
Koji Fukui
After graduating from the Faculty of Business Administration at Ritsumeikan University, he joined Nomura Securities and worked in sales. He subsequently joined BayCurrent Consulting in a sales role, and then went on to found Activarch Consulting.
Positioning Hands-On Consulting as the Defining Strength
— Could you tell us about Activarch Consulting’s business?
We operate primarily in IT and DX consulting. We keep client value creation as the top priority, and are committed to a hands-on consulting style in which we embed ourselves deeply in the client’s organization and work through challenges alongside them.
In some cases we provide support from the upstream — including strategy formulation — while in others we take on a PMO role to advance projects at the client’s request. We adapt flexibly to each client’s phase and challenges.
— Does your work consist primarily of IT and DX support?
IT and DX-related consulting accounts for about ninety percent of our work. Going forward, however, we want to actively support new businesses related to the periphery of IT and DX as well, so that we can offer new forms of value to clients. Currently most of our clients are in the greater Tokyo area, but we also have expansion into Kansai and overseas in our sights.
— How do you differentiate yourselves from other firms?
We hire people with at least three years of IT or DX consulting experience, and have built a structure in which consultants with deep knowledge and experience support clients.
At other firms, it is not uncommon for people with no IT or DX consulting experience — or even new graduates — to be assigned to projects. Because our strength is hands-on consulting, we have consultants with real field experience embed themselves in project environments, ensuring that genuine value is created.
— You seem to place a strong emphasis on consulting that is grounded in the client’s actual situation on the ground.
Exactly. Our approach to support is guided by the policy of “sweating it out together with clients.” This traces back to something I experienced at the consulting firm I was working at during the Lehman Shock.
Right after the Lehman Shock, clients were cutting contracts and the utilization rate of consultants was declining. In that environment, a clear difference emerged between those whose contracts were cut and those whose weren’t.
— What was that difference?
The difference was between those who stayed within the bounds of external advisory support, and those who stood alongside the client in the field, supporting them from the same eye level. The more a project relied on external support alone, the more likely it was to be cut.
Witnessing that firsthand gave me a very clear image of what kind of consultant clients actually want. Our commitment to the “hands-on” approach — embedding deeply in the client’s field and working through solutions together — is grounded in that lived experience.
People with Strong Communication Skills and Sharp Thinking Thrive Here
— Could you tell us about the kind of people you are looking for?
Beyond IT and DX consulting experience, we are looking for people with strong communication skills and who genuinely like people. While the impression formed at the interview is important, we also administer a personality assessment after the interview to confirm there is no discrepancy between how someone presents and who they actually are.
More specifically, we are looking for people with sharp thinking who can communicate in a way that never makes clients feel uneasy. One word we hold central at our company is “proactive.” In keeping with its meaning — acting ahead of others — we are looking for people who can read the client’s situation and move of their own accord, one step ahead.
— Which positions are you currently most actively hiring for?
We are strengthening hiring across all positions, but at the moment we are particularly looking for manager-level talent. With the number of engagements increasing, we want to grow the pool of experienced managers and steadily build deeper client trust.
— Could you tell us about the career path after joining?
We are in the process of developing a career path that, once someone has built up a certain level of experience, branches into a Manager course and an Expert course. We are also considering a new evaluation system aligned with those two tracks.
— What characteristics do people who thrive at your company tend to have?
People with strong communication skills and sharp thinking tend to thrive, and also tend to receive high marks from clients. Rather than relying on enthusiasm and emotion alone, people who can think logically and calmly are the ones who deliver real value as consultants.
Nurturing a Warm and Friendly Company Culture
— Could you tell us about how projects are structured?
There are cases where a single person supports the client, and cases where a team does. Many of our engagements involve direct client relationships, though there are also projects conducted in collaboration with other consulting firms.
— Could you tell us your current headcount?
We have approximately 150 employees, of whom consultants make up over eighty percent. We will continue to put significant effort into hiring so that we can assemble adequate teams when structuring project assignments.
— Is there a company culture that you particularly cherish?
Because we have gathered people with strong communication skills, a warm and friendly atmosphere has developed across the whole company. I feel that this atmosphere is directly tied to our culture, so it is something I want to continue to protect going forward.
As a side note, the all-company social gathering we hold at the end of every month has an attendance rate of around eighty percent. Participation in club activities and company trips is also high, and the closeness between management and employees is something I see as both a distinctive feature and an attraction of our culture.
Career Advancement at a Rapid Pace
— Could you tell us about your career background, President Fukui?
During my student years, I worked part-time and at one point became the store manager — which gave me the chance to save up some money, and I ended up starting a small food and beverage business while still at university. It was there that I first discovered the enjoyment of running a business, and I began to want to see a wider world with management at its center.
With that in mind, I joined Nomura Securities as a new graduate, wanting to develop deep knowledge of management in a sales role. Through my work at Nomura Securities I had the opportunity to work alongside one of BayCurrent’s founding members, and after leaving Nomura I went on to work at BayCurrent, Eco-Hai, and Mercari before founding this company.
— What led you to found Activarch Consulting?
My experience of starting a business as a student was a big factor. Having accumulated knowledge and experience across multiple companies since my first job, I decided to found this company.
— Could you tell us about the origin of the company name?
It is a coined word combining “activate” — to energize something — and “arch” — to connect things. The name carries our aspiration to deliver high-value services by connecting our clients, our company, and the latest business and technology developments.
— Particularly for younger people, what are the concrete benefits of joining your company?
We are still a relatively small company of around 150 employees, which means management is close and the pace of career advancement is fast. At the monthly all-company social gathering, I have employees come up to me and say things like “what do you think about this kind of internal policy?” or “I’d like to work on this new business idea.” That kind of closeness is something you don’t see much at major consulting firms. Because the company is in a growth phase and individual autonomy is significant, it is also an environment where personal growth can be accelerated.
— Finally, could you share your vision for the future?
We are considering dropping “Consulting” from the company name “Activarch Consulting” and building a company that transcends the framework of consulting. I see a company as a kind of living organism, and believe that evolving in step with market needs is what it takes to survive as a company.
For the time being, however, since we are in a growth phase, we will focus specifically on consulting and continue to advance the business. Five years from now, we are aiming to be a company of 1,000 employees, building an organization in which every part of the company keeps growing.
【Post-Interview Note】
What resonated with me in the interview with President Fukui was the thorough, field-first philosophy of “sweating it out side by side with clients” — grounded in the firsthand experience of the Lehman Shock. The company has assembled a team of seasoned IT and DX consulting professionals and built a firm position by holding true to a “by-your-side” approach that never settles for external advisory alone.
What I most want to emphasize to prospective applicants is the “closeness to management” and “significant degree of autonomy” that are unique to a company in a growth phase of around 150 people. The openness of an environment where new business proposals fly across the table at monthly social gatherings generates an energy you won’t find at major firms. For anyone with a proactive mindset — someone who likes people, can think logically, and moves one step ahead — this is an ideal environment for riding the wave of rapid growth and accelerating your own career at remarkable speed.
ConsulNext Senior Consultant
Masahito Tsukada
Activarch Consulting Co., Ltd. — Company Information
| Founded | November 2020 |
| Representative Director | Koji Fukui |
| Capital | ¥15,000,000 |
| Address | 〒105-5539 Toranomon Hills Station Tower 39F, 2-6-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Business Activities | ・IT consulting ・DX consulting ・Strategy consulting and incubation |
