CEO & World Stimulator, Owl Plus Partners / Former Founding CEO, Wunderman Thompson Tokyo
In 2009, Kitajima moved from Hakuhodo, one of Japan's largest advertising agencies, to JWT Japan, part of the global WPP Group. He was promoted to Managing Director within three years, and later became the founding CEO of Wunderman Thompson Tokyo following a group-wide integration. In 2022, he went independent and founded Owl Plus Partners, where he now serves as CEO ー a business-growth partner walking alongside ambitious major companies in pursuit of sustainable growth.
He holds a distinction with almost no precedent in Japan: leading a foreign advertising agency as its representative for nine years without speaking English. He has been described as "a character who rewrote conventional wisdom," and is recognized for a simple conviction ー that business growth and management ability matter more than language fluency.
"I've long been known ー both globally and in Japan ー by the nickname 'CHIEF.' Organizations and teams instinctively want to run from difficulty. I see difficulty as opportunity. What matters most is the will to act, leading from the front into the challenge. 'When in trouble, rely on CHIEF' is our motto."
"Language is a tool. Through interpretation and AI, what matters most is sincere, earnest engagement ー reporting and consulting on issues, countermeasures, and results at the right moment, and co-creating solutions together. When foreign companies hire Japanese leaders, their most common mistake is prioritizing language ability above all else. Even a language sincerely studied cannot truly capture the deeper nuance a native speaker holds."
"What Global wants is people who can deliver results ーー Hironobu Kitajima
not people who can merely communicate. Trust is earned through results."
