Paula Sugawara, CFA

Paula Sugawara photo

VP, BeamPines GM,
Tokyo/AP Affiliates

Paula is an executive coach who has lived in Japan for nearly 20 years having spent 13 years as a manager and analyst in the financial services sector. As an affiliate of BeamPines, Paula is familiar with our brand of Coaching and delivers the same high level of quality service with the full support of our U.S.-based, Ph.D.-level Assessment Division. She works closely with our Coaches to maintain our standards for confidentiality and continued development, regardless of location.

Paula is fluent in both Japanese and English. As an executive coach she draws on her wealth of experience as a leader and manager to develop her clients’ skill and expertise as leaders. She has been particularly effective in assisting Western trained executives integrate into and manage Japanese operations more effectively by understanding the customs, traditions and nuances of the culture. She has improved executives ability to get the most out of their diverse Japanese-Western teams by enhancing their facilitation skills, thereby improving cohesion, collaboration and performance. Working with female managers in Tokyo she has assisted them in maximizing their effectiveness at influencing individuals and teams in complex matrix organizations. In addition to coaching individuals she has also conducted training seminars designed to enhance negotiation skills, team leadership, management skills and cross-cultural communications.

Paula’s clients have come from Credit Suisse, Frank Russell Japan, UBS Securities, Dresdner Kleinwort, Mizuho Bank, KPMG, Park Hyatt Hotel, NEC, Patagonia, Hitotsubashi University, Dutch State Mining, Skadden Arps LLP, Bain Capital, AON and Merrill Lynch.

Paula grew up in London and graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BA with honors in French and Spanish, after which she spent two years in Spain teaching Business English at the Economics Faculty of the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. During her early career as a securities analyst she placed 7th in the Nikkei Analyst Rankings for the utility sector and 10th for the machinery sector. She also obtained both her Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) and Series 16 Supervisory Analyst qualifications.

Paula transitioned from financial management to executive coaching by completing both Fundamental and Advanced Coaching Training (in Japanese) from the Coaches Training Institute. She is also a Certified Professional Coach by the International Coaching Association. Most recently she has been certified in the use of the MBTI.

As a woman working in the finance industry, the wife of a Japanese national and a working mother raising two young children in Tokyo, Paula is also in a good position to coach executives needing to deal with work/life balance issues.

Please contact: Dr. Patrick Sherry (303) 871-2495 for further information.