Hopejets Consulting Japan handles numerous consulting projects that support the overseas expansion of manufacturing industries. Collaborating with approximately 300 consultants living overseas, the firm boasts the unique strength of being able to assign the perfect consultants matching the specific demands of each client. Amid a shrinking domestic market, an increasing number of companies are making entries into overseas territories, and the firm dedicates its full efforts to supporting business strategy and operational reform aimed at strengthening the international competitiveness of its clients. In the near future, the company plans to establish offices in the United States, Southeast Asia, Singapore, and Europe, further accelerating its global expansion.
What kind of future do they propose to clients looking to accelerate their overseas expansion? What kind of business plan do they map out for Hopejets Consulting Japan itself? Furthermore, with what kind of peers do they want to grow the company together? We spoke with Representative Director & CEO Adel Li and Chief Financial Officer Shoichi Itakura about their passion for their clients and the company, as well as the ideal candidate profile they want to welcome.
Adel Li
Completed a master’s degree at HEC Paris. After gaining experience as a mechanical engineer at Hitachi, Ltd., he accumulated valuable experience as a business consultant and sales professional at Accenture and Capgemini. He has been extensively engaged in a wide range of themes, from high-level strategic formulation to hands-on execution support, primarily in the manufacturing, energy, and IT industries. He holds strong expertise in overseas expansion strategy, new business strategy, and global M&A PMI support. Possessing a wealth of global insight and extensive networks in China, Europe, and Southeast Asia, he has also authored articles for specialized media focusing on Japanese manufacturing craftsmanship, leveraging his unique perspectives on global business models and corporate global growth.
Supporting clients’ overseas expansion with a powerful matchmaking service that connects companies with 300 global consultants
──Please describe the business details of Hopejets Consulting Japan.
Our firm primarily focuses on global projects across various industries, handling numerous consulting cases that break past Japanese borders, such as establishing overseas production or sales bases, designing workflows based on local recruitment, and realizing M&A with local corporations.
Additionally, we have recently seen a noticeable increase in overseas manufacturing and IT companies looking to establish sales presence in Japan. Foreign companies aiming to launch new business ventures in Japan are also standing out. Our primary role is to act as a reliable companion, providing hands-on support to any company seeking to accelerate its global expansion.
Most of these globally minded enterprises are pushing forward with the construction of organizations and IT systems designed for full globalization. A significant number of companies are focusing on building a solid corporate framework for global growth, such as managing locally hired talent on a global scale or strengthening governance across heavily scattered worldwide bases. Therefore, we ensure that we deliver powerful support measures to further accelerate our clients’ globalization, leveraging our proven track record of successfully guiding numerous overseas projects.
──Specifically, what kind of support do you provide to clients expanding globally?
When listening to companies aiming for the global market, we hear many common concerns, such as “not knowing where to start in the first place,” “not having a large enough project scale or sufficient budget to hire a traditional consulting firm,” or “finding it difficult to establish a local base because we cannot hire talent fluent in local practices.” Therefore, in addition to standard field research, marketing, and competitive analysis, our firm conducts deep and exhaustive research that even covers the granular characteristics of local consumers in specific towns, visualizing the exact scenario surrounding the client. We isolate potential risks for the client and propose multiple scenarios and measures to mitigate them. At the same time, we offer a short-term, 1-month simplified consulting service called “Quick Win.” For example, it is used for purposes such as organizing challenges before fully implementing a PLM system or conducting rapid field research before choosing a location for a sales office.
Supporting the architectural design and development of core business infrastructure systems built for global operations is another frequent engagement. We handle projects that migrate legacy on-premise ERP or SCM systems built for domestic use into cloud environments, enabling the central consolidation of manufacturing and customer data from around the globe. We often engage right from the initial planning phases to redraw the IT blueprint and map out exactly how core systems should be modernized. From upstream planning to downstream execution and full operational adoption, we provide support across every single phase.
Additionally, we sometimes map out sales processes designed for local consumers or fill temporary gaps when internal resources are scarce. We also frequently run workshops or re-establish goals and metrics for underperforming overseas sales offices, helping them derive realistic and executable measures.
──What do you believe is the secret to successfully guiding global projects across such diverse business domains?
Our firm has established a robust mechanism called “InsightWing,” which allows us to collaborate with consultants worldwide and assign talent with the exact background and skill sets required for each specific project. This service matches companies seeking specialized expertise and know-how with approximately 300 consultants we refer to as “experts.” The backgrounds of these experts are highly diverse, including R&D researchers, MBA students, former consulting firm professionals, and business division heads. Because the vast majority of these experts reside overseas, companies planning international expansion can join forces with consultants who are deeply fluent in the local culture and business customs, allowing them to confidently drive business promotion and challenge resolution.
Looking strictly at Japan, there is a general shortage of talent with highly specialized technical capabilities or the power to leverage data for management. There are also likely very few business leaders who can drive overseas expansion with a truly global perspective. Utilizing “InsightWing” allows companies to partially inject the exact insight, know-how, and ideas they lack. I feel that Japanese companies, where talent shortages have become a constant reality, are precisely the ones that desperately need “InsightWing.”
Prioritizing a humble and honest attitude over pure experience or skills, welcoming those who can truly align with clients
──I understand you are currently ramping up your recruitment activities. What kind of talent are you looking for?
Our firm is seeking peers who want to grow alongside the company. Specifically, we look for individuals who possess a global mindset and want to support the resolution of global management challenges for our clients, as well as highly ambitious individuals who aspire to become leaders driving our overall business operations.
Above all, the most vital traits we value in our candidates are humility and honesty. While other companies frequently demand past track records and hard skills, we place far greater weight on these core attitudes.
Consultants must propose various measures depending on the client’s situation. At times, acting as an advisor instructing the client, we may even have to challenge or criticize their management structure or corporate strategy. In such environments, it is not uncommon for consultants to reject the client’s suggestions or intent out of a desire to push through their own assertions. However, our firm does not seek individuals who refuse to listen to the client’s voice and forcefully push their own opinions.
What we look for in our consultants is the attitude to genuinely accept the client’s point of view. Individuals who believe only in their own opinions and focus strictly on wrapping up the project based on their own terms do not align with our firm. Can you face challenges from the exact same eye level as the client? Can you exchange opinions openly on equal terms? If you cannot build such a relationship, you cannot deliver proposals that truly align with the client, and you certainly cannot guide the project to a successful completion.
For example, if the counterpart at a client company is a newly assigned employee who isn’t fully fluent in the operations yet, you should adapt your communication to match that person’s level. You should eliminate technical jargon and communicate using words that the person can easily grasp. The same applies whether you are facing an executive or a front-line employee. Constantly showing humility to respect the other party’s opinion and honesty to allow for their way of thinking are completely indispensable for our consultants.
In doing so, it is vital to dig into why that contact person arrived at that specific way of thinking, or why they are asserting that particular opinion. By uncovering the story underlying their perspective, you can notice their true intent which cannot be read from their outward assertions alone, allowing you to derive an essential solution. We believe that individuals who can maintain a back-and-forth dialogue until they can clearly visualize that underlying story are the ones who can truly excel as consultants with us.
In global projects, it is an everyday reality that common sense or paradigms in Japan do not apply. You encounter unique local mindsets or clients with deeply entrenched corporate cultures. There is no absolute right or wrong answer. How do you derive a solution under those conditions? One of the core answers to this does not lie in past track records or experience, but in humility and honesty.
──Ccertaingly, language fluency is a core indicators when evaluating a candidate.
Linguistic fluency is certainly one of the important indicators when evaluating a candidate. However, we highly welcome individuals even if languages are not their strong suit. Even if you cannot communicate perfectly in a common language, we believe it is entirely possible to read the other person’s nuances or convey your intent using your entire body. What is truly required is the sincere attitude to read what the other person wants to say, and the determination to convey your own thoughts using any means possible.
Some of the global projects we handle do not use a single word of Japanese. Even if you struggle with languages, we want to welcome individuals who feel a genuine sense of joy in getting involved in such projects.
Furthermore, communication capability is not just a tool for building client relationships; it is an indispensable skill for governing our network of experts. By further polishing this skill, if you can become sensitive to structural risks—noticing that “this project might run into trouble” or “a mistake might occur if we proceed down this path”—I believe you can grow immensely as a consultant.
──So you place high importance on latent capabilities, such as a candidate’s character, personality, and intrinsic desire to grow?
We certainly want to welcome individuals who already possess a wealth of track records, experience, and the hard skills to drive overseas expansion. However, at the same time, we have a strong desire to back up individuals who possess a fierce determination, thinking “I absolutely want to get involved in global projects.” Our firm provides a supportive environment where you can master the foundations of consulting under the guidance of veteran consultants. We offer training programs to master management skills, proposal capabilities, and data analysis skills, and establish an educational system to support the acquisition of skills that employees wish to learn. Even for individuals who are completely new to consulting or have lighter experience, it is entirely possible to stack up meaningful outcomes and results as long as you possess the core desire. What matters most is your drive to take on challenges, your autonomy, initiative, and above all, an entrepreneurial spirit.
Our firm is in its early, formative stages. Joining us now means you can participate as a founding member and a candidate for an executive post, watching the company scale up firsthand. Moving forward, as we expand our international footprint, we intend to entrust branch management roles to those who desire it. Hopejets Consulting Japan is precisely the kind of company where you can turn the dream of “exceling on the global stage” into a reality.
Maximizing individual discretion, promoting a working style unrestricted by location or time
──Adel, please share your career background and what led to the founding of the company.
Born in China, I spent the first 25 years of my life there until graduating from university. The first company I joined after graduation was a Japanese enterprise, which allowed me to touch Japanese manufacturing know-how and technical capabilities. Later, triggered by moving to Japan to study abroad, I transitioned my career in Japan. While accumulating experience as an engineer at Hitachi, Ltd., I learned deeply about the technical strengths and development attitudes that define Japanese enterprises.
Afterward, I moved to France and transitioned into a local consulting firm. Wanting to get involved in corporate management from a young age, I believed I should jump into the consulting industry where I could directly witness the raw realities of various companies.
Because that consulting firm operated on a small scale, I was able to stack up valuable experience driving my own sales and winning projects despite being in my very first year. The primary clients were Japanese enterprises, and I was allowed to support core IT system implementations, manufacturing front-line improvements, and operational reforms within design and development departments.
Later, I earned an MBA at a French graduate school, but due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, I returned to Japan and decided to look for a new professional path here. While I considered going back to France, my desire to deliver explicit results in Japanese and Chinese projects was incredibly fierce, so I chose Japan as my base to continue my journey as a consultant.
Under those circumstances, I was scouted by Accenture as a consultant fluent in global projects. Learning that I could get involved in the exact types of projects I wanted to handle, I joined Accenture and took charge of international engagements. Having been assigned to a newly established division, I managed a wide spectrum of cases, from IT system proposals to M&A research and negotiations.
On the other hand, the more I worked as a consultant, the more I began to feel that traditional consulting could only support specific industries or siloed operations. While supporting Japanese enterprises, a sense of crisis also began to mount, realizing that “Japanese companies will fall behind unless they aggressively strike out into international markets.” As those thoughts expanded, I realized that “if we build a mechanism that matches required talent seamlessly, we can support a far larger number of enterprises,” which led to the conceptualization of the prototype for what is now “InsightWing.” Driven by an intensely fierce desire to grow corporate global businesses with my own hands, I made the decision to take the leap into entrepreneurship. I founded the company in Hong Kong in January 2021, and one year later, in January 2022, established our Japanese corporation in Tokyo.
──Please tell us about the meaning and origin embedded in the name “Hopejets Consulting”.
Since I am a massive fan of aviation, I chose the word “jets” to embed my desire to achieve swift, powerful propulsion, just like an airplane. “Hope” represents our commitment to being an enterprise that deeply uncovers and absorbs our clients’ desires and aspirations. Furthermore, it embeds my wish to connect our own hopes with the hopes of Japan and the wider world. The name reflects our dedication to realizing our clients’ desires with a powerful sense of speed.
──Shoichi, what led you to join Hopejets Consulting Japan?
It all started when Adel reached out to me via an SNS community, and as we discussed the consulting industry and corporate financial strategies, we completely hit it off, which led me to support the business. Since the company lacked a deep financial perspective prior to my arrival, I currently serve as CFO, mapping out and executing financial strategies.
I completed my university degree and then took charge of global accounting and finance at Hitachi Koki, eventually serving as CFO of a sales subsidiary. Later, I transitioned to Accenture, where I began accumulating deep consulting experience in fields like M&A, PMI support, and management education. Afterward, I was headhunted by a Japanese investment company, where I contributed directly to scaling up portfolio companies through sourcing, investment execution, and hands-on operational involvement. After establishing my independence, I currently operate as an investor investing in the financial sector, while supporting new business creation for major enterprises, IPO preparation for startups, and sales strategy formulation.
──Shoichi, from your perspective, how does the working style of the Hopejets Consulting Japan staff look to you?
A defining characteristic is that we grant a broad range of discretion to each individual staff member. In our firm, managers and senior staff do not engage in micro-management. We never over-index or interfere with our staff’s day-to-day actions. The fact that each member can manage their own time and work based on their own discretion is both a major characteristic and a core strength. However, to ensure that newly onboarded employees never feel isolated, we intentionally design our environment to foster frequent communication within the team, creating a space for continuous learning and mutual inspiration.
I feel that our firm has cultivated an open culture where anyone can easily discuss matters without worrying about vertical hierarchies. Furthermore, as a general rule, we encourage remote work. We respect our staff’s self-discretion, including their working hours and locations.
──How many projects does a member typically handle after joining?
While it ultimately depends on the individual’s experience and skill sets, it is general to handle 2 to 3 projects simultaneously. We place the highest respect on the individual’s intent, but we carefully configure assignments to ensure no excessive burden is placed on anyone. It is very common to handle projects alongside veteran consultants or to lead an engagement by orchestrating multiple experts.
──Hopejets Consulting Japan Co., Ltd. How do you plan to grow this company in the future?
Our company was founded just recently in 2021. We are currently navigating a critical transitional phase, actively pushing forward with establishing internal systems, expanding our staff, and scaling our consulting portfolio. At the same time, keeping our eyes firmly fixed on the horizon, we are actively setting up preparations targeting an IPO in 2028. Moving forward, we want to welcome many more peers to our team and expand our business domains even wider. By bringing together staff with diverse professional backgrounds and expanding our network of global experts, we aim to position ourselves to successfully guide even larger-scale projects. While thoroughly enjoying this current phase of rapid growth, we will carve out an unshakeable position as a trusted partner for our clients.
Hopejets Consulting Japan Co., Ltd. Corporate Information
| Company Name | Hopejets Consulting Japan Co., Ltd. |
| Establishment Date | January 2022 |
| Location | 7F, 1-3-40 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Capital | 3 million yen |
| Representative | Adel Li |
| Phone / FAX | 03-5427-1878 |
| Number of Employees | 20 (including outsourced staff) |
| Core Businesses | Consulting Business (Management Strategy, Overseas Expansion, Digital Transformation), Expert Matchmaking Business |
