Boyden has appointed Stephen Irish as Managing Partner and head of Boyden Japan. Based in Tokyo, Irish joins the company’s global healthcare & life sciences practice, leading senior level searches for clients in Japan and Asia/Pacific, as well as those headquartered outside the region.
“Japan is a unique market, and requires specialist knowledge and understanding of the cultural nuances at the individual, organisational and government level,” commented Stephen Irish, Managing Partner, Boyden Japan. “Having worked with Japanese companies throughout my career, I am delighted to bring this experience into a collaborative, international environment with Boyden. For clients, it is particularly beneficial that Boyden has healthcare and life sciences consultants in headquarter locations across Europe and the United States, with deep market expertise and connections.”
Irish was formerly Regional Practice Head, Asia/Pacific, Healthcare & Life Sciences at a global executive search firm based in Japan, covering Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, Thailand and the Philippines. He brings more than 20 years’ experience in executive search with multinational organisations in the life sciences and healthcare consulting sectors. Irish previously worked in R&D with a Japanese food and chemical company. Bilingual in English and Japanese, he holds a BA in Psychology and a PhD in Neuropsychology from Texas Christian University.
Irish said: “Clients in Japan today need bi-lingual, bi-cultural and diverse leaders who are mobile and capable of operating in a more international environment. In another shift, the pandemic has introduced more online engagement in a hitherto traditional face-to-face culture. Leadership tenure is still robust, particularly in healthcare and life sciences, so long-term relationships are key, together with an intricate understanding of the motivators and aspirations among this complex talent pool.”