Atsushi Okahashi joins AKQA as Executive Strategy Director in Tokyo

As Executive Strategy Director, Atsushi will identify growth opportunities informed by shifts in the broader business landscape and lead key strategic initiatives as AKQA Japan scales. He will strengthen relationships with client executives through strategic partnerships, elevate AKQA’s globally recognised value proposition within Japan, and orchestrate cross-functional teams across the global network to deliver customer-centred approaches that drive sustainable, long-term growth.

A strategy and design leader with deep expertise in consulting, innovation, and brand transformation, Atsushi brings a multidisciplinary perspective shaped by his work with global enterprises and emerging ventures.

Prior to joining AKQA, Atsushi served at BCG X, where he led new business creation and customer experience transformation for Japanese and multinational companies. His leadership played a central role in launching an award-winning digital venture that advanced the intersection of strategic foresight, product innovation, and human-centred design. Alongside his consulting work, Atsushi is the co-founder of Lobsterr Publishing, a research and editorial platform exploring the future of business, culture, and technology. Recognised by Apple Podcasts, the platform reflects his commitment to curiosity, cultural intelligence, and shaping what comes next.

On joining AKQA, Atsushi said: “Joining AKQA Tokyo is a privilege, and I’m excited about the opportunity ahead. As creativity, technology, and AI reshape every category, I look forward to working with our talented team and clients to navigate this transformation with clarity and ambition, and to imagine and create the future together.”

Managing Director AKQA Japan Teppei Tsuchikawa added: “Atsushi’s arrival marks a moment that clearly illuminates the future AKQA Tokyo aims to create. AKQA is now establishing deep roots in Japan—one of the world’s most dynamic economies and most culturally influential markets. Through our partnership with Itochu, we are making meaningful progress with leading global enterprises, enriching the economic activity that connects Japan to the world, and rapidly expanding our opportunities here. In this era of accelerating change, uniting Design and Innovation is essential to shaping the future, and talent like Atsushi’s is vital to that ambition. We look forward to the new momentum he will bring and to the impact he will surely make.”