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Yuji Akaba
Managing Director at Breakthrough Partners, Expert in Blockchain and Corporate Strategy
Yuji Akaba is a prominent business leader and entrepreneur based in Tokyo, Japan. He is currently the Managing Director of Breakthrough Partners, a company he co-founded in January 2002.1 With over 22 years of experience in this role, Akaba has dedicated his career to helping entrepreneurs build successful startups and assisting large corporations with management innovation, leadership development, and succession management.1
Background and Education
Akaba holds impressive academic credentials:
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tokyo
- Master of Science and Degree of Engineer in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University1
Professional Experience
Before co-founding Breakthrough Partners, Akaba's career included:
- Six years as a design engineer at Komatsu, where he worked on developing ultra-large dump trucks1
- 14 years as a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he spearheaded the company's practice in Korea, growing it to over 120 staff in less than a decade1
Current Roles and Initiatives
In addition to his position at Breakthrough Partners, Akaba is involved in several other ventures:
- Director at Infinity Blockchain Holdings, based in Singapore1
- Core member of blockchain startups in Japan, including BINARYSTAR, the largest blockchain business hub in the country1
Authorship and Thought Leadership
Akaba is a prolific author, having published:
- 21 books in Japan
- 20 books in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand
- His works focus on skill and perspective development, with over 900,000 copies sold1
Approach and Philosophy
Akaba's unique approach involves:
- Working closely with CEOs to accelerate leader and manager development
- Executing various strategy development, profit improvement, and organization effectiveness projects
- Providing hands-on coaching to energize leaders and create momentum for management innovation1
Through his work at Breakthrough Partners, Akaba aims to create "world-class venture companies originating in Japan" and contribute to the development of innovative businesses and leaders.2
