Shigeyoshi Kanda<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After working at Recruit Co., Ltd. (now Recruit Career), he founded GL Navigation Inc. in 2009. He operates human development services including the overseas professional internship service “GlobalWing” and the career support service for foreign nationals “JapanWing,” as well as a DX consulting service.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n We primarily operate a DX consulting business and an education and training business. Our company has many employees with extensive experience at operating companies, enabling us to deliver DX consulting that is grounded in practical reality. We also have specialists in business development and globalization on staff, allowing us to contribute to achieving DX that is broadly applicable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the education and training business, we provide educational services for foreign nationals aspiring to build careers in Japan, as well as support services for overseas internships. In an era where globalization has become the norm, we offer widely accessible learning opportunities that are not contingent on nationality or background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Achieving genuine DX requires the growth of every individual involved. We saw the potential for synergy effects that contribute to that growth by weaving the consulting and education and training businesses together \u2014 that is why we chose this model. That said, we didn’t launch both businesses simultaneously right after founding. We started by building the education and training business as our core, and then entered consulting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I noticed after moving into consulting \u2014 following years in the education and training space with “the need for people to change” as our central theme \u2014 was that many Japanese companies are dependent on consultants and vendors. Many people have an excessive sense of inadequacy around systems and digitalization, which makes them prone to falling into a state of vendor dependency. With vendors holding the upper hand, talent gravitates toward the vendor side as well, creating a distortion across the entire industry. It is out of a desire to change that situation, even in a small way, that we have developed both businesses in combination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our strength is the ability to guide clients through to the point where they can ultimately bring their DX in-house. Enabling clients to insource their DX \u2014 and helping individual workers develop skills that are valued in the market \u2014 is the essence of our DX consulting support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two main reasons we approach consulting with insourcing as the goal. The first is that we are a consulting firm that grew out of the education and training business. When companies focus solely on their own growth, it is common for the environment to gradually become one where individual growth is no longer achievable. But in DX, you cannot reach the goal without the growth of people. It is precisely because so many companies see the development of DX talent as a challenge that they turn to us \u2014 a firm whose roots lie in the prioritization of people’s education and training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second reason is that I believe the role of a company that enters a market later is to disrupt it. In other words, our mission is to break down the existing values of the consulting industry and create new value. Running counter to the conventional view that “systems change because people don’t” is also one of the factors that sets us apart from other consulting firms. Insourcing is one of the means that underpins this thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We develop our own staff to be capable of operating as digital talent who can manage insourcing \u2014 not just our clients. For example, our CRM environment was built by an employee who had no IT industry background and previously worked in securities sales. Every employee in the sales team, regardless of industry experience or whether they joined as a new graduate or mid-career, is trained to be able to build key CRM and marketing automation tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By realizing DX insourcing within our own company first, we hope to build a model in which it is us \u2014 the people \u2014 who adapt flexibly, rather than systems that change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have approximately 130 employees in total, organized into four divisions: the consulting division, the human resources education division, the recruitment placement division (launched in 2024), and a Vietnam business division (from a company acquired in the same year). The consulting division accounts for around 100 of those employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The consulting division basically operates on a hybrid of a one-pool system and a group system. In the group system, members work as team leads or group managers, leading the organization from within their group. In the one-pool system, members have a degree of flexibility in their project assignments. The organizational design allows people to choose the approach that suits their situation \u2014 whether they are in a management role or on the front line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We frequently support projects covering two scopes: strategy formulation, and insourcing support and capability development. These range from engagements staffed by teams of ten to part-time-style arrangements with two or three people assigned, across a wide variety of configurations. As a result, it is not unusual for one person to be working on two or three engagements simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of our distinctive practices \u2014 and it is a feature of our approach \u2014 is that for prime engagements received directly from clients, we permit the client to hire away the assigned consultant. This stems from the goal of our consulting: enabling the client to complete DX in-house. When clients hire away an assigned consultant, they gain an employee capable of handling project management and vendor management internally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seventy percent of our consultants are over 50, and 25 percent are over 60 \u2014 which may make us the consulting firm in Japan that employs the most mid-to-senior professionals. Many have experience as department heads or above at major corporations, and also serve in advisory roles. (As of October 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, employees in their twenties still account for only about 17 percent of our total. However, looking at our management positions, approximately 70 percent of managers are in their twenties to thirties. We have structured things so that younger generations are entrusted with positions of responsibility, while the veteran generation supports the young. This creates a culture where young employees are given the right level of challenge to drive their growth, while the veteran contingent provides the foundation that makes it easier for them to take on risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Age and nationality are not factors. We are recruiting with the goal of welcoming people with diverse backgrounds. For that reason, we don’t have a particularly defined profile of the ideal candidate at this point. This approach is guided by our policy of “Diversity Transformation,” which we prioritize in hiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reason we are committed to hiring diverse talent is our roots in the education business. There are many cases of people who only have experience at operating companies joining us with the goal of using our company as a place to reskill toward a consulting career. As a point of reference, approximately 35 percent of our new hires are non-Japanese nationals. Hiring diverse talent is also something we pursue because of the positive stimulus it brings to existing employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We actively recruit people based in regional areas and take an approach that is not bound to a particular location for work. We are mindful about taking on engagements that can be handled fully remotely, aiming for a way of working that is not tied to central urban areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also have a policy that allows employees who normally work in the office to switch to remote work during pregnancy. Even short commutes require care during pregnancy, and we want to remove the risk of unexpected incidents. This remote work option during pregnancy also applies to male employees whose partners are pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe it is the company’s responsibility to build a support structure that enables people to balance work and family. We have all the standard parental leave provisions in place, of course, and our take-up rate is 100 percent \u2014 not just for women but for men as well. In addition, for two years after returning from parental leave, employees can take ten days of special leave per year, separate from their annual paid leave. Young children are prone to illness and other things, which means the need for unexpected days off increases. We are committed to creating an environment where employees who are raising children can focus on their work with peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also cover up to \u00a5250,000 per year in costs for housekeeping or babysitting services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I joined Recruit Co., Ltd. (now Recruit Career) in 2006, and founded the company at the end of 2009. When we first launched, we were not in consulting \u2014 we were in recruitment placement and human development services, primarily providing an educational program that placed university students and young working professionals in internships at startups. About ten years after founding, in 2019, we entered the DX consulting business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I approached job hunting without narrowing down to a specific industry or role, with a focus on wanting to work with real passion. Looking at company websites never gave me a feel for the energy of the employees, so I ended up attending a lot of information sessions in person. Among those, two encounters made a real impact on me, and together they led me to Recruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One was meeting the president of a major house builder. The session was held in a small conference room, but seeing the president talk about his ambitious, large-scale vision, I simply thought \u2014 this person is genuinely impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other was meeting a person in HR at a specialist trading company dealing in tools. After the session, I asked them \u2014 somewhat rudely for a student \u2014 “Is selling tools actually fun?” The HR person said “I’m glad you asked” and talked enthusiastically about their work. That experience made me realize that what I actually wanted to do was listen to the stories of business leaders and companies of all kinds \u2014 and it set me on the path to Recruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My parents had started their own business and I had watched them struggle for years, so I had no desire to do the same. But during my time at Recruit, I met around 300 business founders over three years, and seeing how absorbed they were in their work \u2014 and how much they seemed to be enjoying it \u2014 I began to feel that I wanted to start something myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trigger for actually doing so was the connections I had built during my Recruit years. I received offers of investment and support, and found myself being encouraged to take the leap on many occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wouldn’t call it a fully formed idea, but I had a sense of the challenges and needs around human resources. When I spoke with foreign friends and acquaintances, even highly capable people who spoke both Japanese and English and had graduated from prestigious universities said they struggled to find employment in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, I had heard that Japanese companies lacked non-Japanese staff, and that even when they exhibited at overseas trade shows, communication barriers prevented them from converting connections into business. I started the service of placing foreign nationals in internships in Japan as a way to address both sides of that challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the educational services attracted interest, monetizing them was difficult and growth had plateaued. Feeling that the company couldn’t survive without moving into a business that could generate revenue, I launched DX consulting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The push to enter DX consulting came from graduates of our educational programs, who told us “the age of DX is coming.” Many of them had gone on to thrive at major IT companies, and I was struck by the unexpected way in which the educational services \u2014 which had been so difficult to monetize \u2014 were giving back to us in this form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is because of these roots that we place greater emphasis on “commitment to people’s growth” than conventional consulting firms. Our different way of framing challenges and different approach also stem from having “the growth of people” as our goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since launching the DX consulting business in 2019, we have grown at a rate of 1.5 to 2 times per year, and we are now considering a public listing. After listing, we want to develop services with an even stronger commitment to individual development. With that vision as our foundation, we are currently in the stage of actively investing in research and development for services that incorporate the latest AI technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In qualitative terms, another goal is to employ a wide range of talent regardless of age, gender, or nationality, and to become a global role model as a company that has achieved genuine diversity. Japan’s population is aging and declining faster than most countries, and its digital competitiveness ranks 32nd in the world \u2014 a low level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index \u2014 which quantifies the gender divide \u2014 Japan ranks 118th out of 146 countries. Even on the question of gender, let alone broader diversity, Japan’s thinking lags behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is precisely because Japan is like this that a company made up of diverse people \u2014 using digital tools to grow \u2014 has genuine social significance. Rather than gathering only young people of the same nationality or those with similar values, if we can grow as a company by bringing together a wide range of people and having those from different generations and nations grow alongside one another, I am convinced that would be a meaningful and worthy role model for the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are still at the stage of walking toward that dream. From the perspective of “changing people,” I hope to enjoy my own transformation and that of the company, while the whole team aims higher together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I felt most strongly throughout the interview was President Kanda’s consistent educational mindset \u2014 his conviction that “the essence of DX lies in people, not systems.” The company’s goal in its consulting work is not simply to introduce tools, but to support clients in achieving “insourcing” \u2014 the ability to sustain DX independently \u2014 and I am convinced that this sincerity is what has earned it so much trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For prospective applicants, the standout attraction is the extraordinary level of autonomy given to young employees \u2014 with people in their twenties and thirties making up approximately 70 percent of management. At the same time, a robust structure of veterans from major corporations provides the backbone, and a culture in which seniors support young challengers \u2014 “Japan’s leading company for mid-to-senior professional activity” \u2014 creates a sense of security and a growth environment unlike anywhere else. The warmth and consideration for life events also came through clearly in the interview: a 100 percent take-up rate for paternity leave, and comprehensive childcare support. For anyone with the ambition not just to develop their skills, but to “update society through the growth of people,” there is no better place to hone yourself than here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ConsulNext Senior Consultant<\/strong>Having Started from Education, We See \u2014 and Confront \u2014 the Challenges of the Consulting Industry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/glnavigation_ph05.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Could you tell us about GL Navigation’s business?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Why do you operate on two axes \u2014 consulting and education and training?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 GL Navigation has an unusual background for a consulting firm. What would you say are your strengths compared with other companies?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Is there anything you are particularly mindful of in order to deliver insourcing support?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
An Organizational Culture Where Young People Can Thrive from Day One<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/glnavigation_ph02.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Could you tell us about the specific organizational structure?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Could you tell us about the project structure?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 I understand your age profile is distinctive.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A Working Environment That Can Adapt to Changes in Lifestyle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/glnavigation_ph03.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Could you tell us about the kind of person you are looking for?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Are there any particularly noteworthy aspects of working here?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 The arrival of a child is a major turning point in life.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Toward a Company That Can Change People and Society \u2014 Together with Diverse Talent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/glnavigation_ph04.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Could you tell us about your own career background, President Kanda?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 You started your career at Recruit. What led you to join?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 You went from Recruit to founding your own company. Did you always have entrepreneurial ambitions? And was there a particular trigger?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 The human development service was your initial business model. Had that idea been taking shape for a long time?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 What prompted the move from educational services into DX consulting?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Finally, could you share your vision for the future?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\u3010Post-Interview Note\u3011<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/img-tsukada.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Masahito Tsukada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nGL Navigation Inc. \u2014 Company Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Company Name<\/strong><\/td> GL Navigation Inc.<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Founded<\/strong><\/td> December 21, 2009<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Capital<\/strong><\/td> \u00a598,580,000 (including capital reserve)<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Representative Director<\/strong><\/td> Shigeyoshi Kanda<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Employees<\/strong><\/td> 110<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Address<\/strong><\/td> Crest Minami-Otsuka Building 5F, 3-44-13 Minami-Otsuka, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0005<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Business Activities<\/strong><\/td> [DX Consulting Services]
\u30fbDX Consulting
\u30fbDX Force
[Educational Services]
\u30fbJapan Wing
\u30fbGlobal Wing<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nGL Navigation Inc. \u2014 Job Listings<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3943,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"swell_btn_cv_data":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7935","industry","type-industry","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n