250 Akiko Karaki, Partner Head of Tokyo, Brunswick Group

Previously Akiko was a Commentator for Fuji TV; Co-Founder of
Women In Action; Partner, Strategy &; Division Head at Japan
Post; Vice-President Calyon Securities; Associate McKinsey &
Company; Vice-President and Associate, General Counsel J.P.
Morgan.


She graduated with a JD in Law from Tokyo University and has a
Master Of Law from Columbia Law School


“Culture is an accumulation of behaviors—what you say and do
becomes the culture.”

“If the ownership is there, it’s really easy to engage with
them.”

“Listen more than you speak—especially in Japan, silence
often hides valuable insight.”

“You can’t have a single leadership approach—it’s person by
person.”

“Deliver, manage expectations, and be transparent—that’s how
you build trust.”



Akiko’s leadership approach is deeply rooted in clarity of
direction, respect for individuality, and adaptive engagement.
Her philosophy is shaped by diverse experiences in legal,
consulting, and advisory roles, and it centres on fostering
ownership within her teams. She emphasizes the importance of
building a shared vision and selecting people whose strengths and
motivations align with that direction. For her, engagement begins
with recruiting the right individuals and then shaping an
environment that supports their ownership of outcomes. Whether
inheriting a team or building one from scratch, she focuses on
identifying key issues, defining areas of impact, and matching
people to those missions.


She acknowledges that leadership today demands flexibility, as
people differ in how they want to be led—some thrive with
autonomy while others need close collaboration. Her leadership
style is not one-size-fits-all; instead, it’s adaptive and rooted
in an appreciation of diversity—not only in personality but in
professional backgrounds. Akiko credits the richness of ideas
within her organization to this diversity, noting that innovation
emerges from intentional dialogue across disciplines. However,
she is clear that shared goals are the foundation for extracting
those ideas meaningfully. Without common purpose, even diverse
teams can become fragmented.


Trust-building, in her view, requires consistent delivery,
expectation management, and transparency. She strives to keep her
promises, communicates constraints openly, and balances optimism
with realism. She views culture as the accumulation of behaviour,
underscoring the importance of consistent actions and clear
communication in shaping a cohesive and connected team identity.
Akiko also makes intentional efforts to keep her Japan-based
office plugged into the global organization by fostering
English-language meetings and inter-office collaboration.


She believes that inclusion means not only being open to new
ideas but actively drawing them out, especially in Japan where
silence is often misread by Western leaders. Her advice for
foreign leaders in Japan centres on listening more than speaking,
respecting the local communication style, and recognizing that
lack of feedback doesn’t imply satisfaction. For aspiring female
leaders, her message is one of encouragement—step forward, trust
those who support you, and don’t be deterred by fear. Her
leadership is marked by resilience, clarity, and a deep
commitment to enabling others to lead and succeed in their own
right.
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If you enjoy our content, then head over to
www.dale-carnegie.co.jp and check out our Japanese and English
seminars, workshops, course information and schedules and our
whitepapers, guidebooks, training videos, podcasts, blogs.


About The Author


Dr. Greg Story, President Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training


Contact me at greg.story@dalecarnegie.com


Bestselling author of “Japan Sales Mastery” (the Japanese
translation is "The Eigyo" (The営業), “Japan Business Mastery” and
"Japan Presentations Mastery".  He has also written "How To
Stop Wasting Money On Training" and the translation "Toreningu De
Okane Wo Muda Ni Suru No Wa Yamemashoo" (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのは止めましょう)
and his brand new book is “Japan Leadership Mastery”.


 


Dr. Greg Story is an international keynote speaker, an executive
coach, and a thought leader in the four critical areas for
business people: leadership, communication, sales and
presentations. He leads the Dale Carnegie Franchise in Tokyo
which traces its roots straight back to the very establishment of
Dale Carnegie in Japan in 1963 by Mr. Frank Mochizuki.


He publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter


Has 6 weekly podcasts:


1.     Mondays -  The
Leadership Japan Series,


2.    Tuesdays – The Presentations Japan
Series


Every second Tuesday - ビジネス達人の教え


3.    Wednesdays - The Sales Japan Series


4.    Thursdays – The Leadership Japan Series


Also every second Thursday - ビジネスプロポッドキャスト


5.    Fridays - The Japan Business Mastery
Show


6.    Saturdays – Japan’s Top Business
Interviews


Has 3 weekly TV shows on YouTube:


1.     Mondays - The Cutting Edge Japan
Business Show


Also every Second Thursday - ビジネスプロTV


2.    Fridays – Japan Business Mastery


3.    Saturdays – Japan Top Business
Interviews


In the course of his career Dr. Greg Story has moved from the
academic world, to consulting, investments, trade representation,
international diplomacy, retail banking and people development.


Growing up in Brisbane, Australia he never imagined he would have
a Ph.D. in Japanese decision-making, become a 40 year veteran of
Japan and run his own company in Tokyo.


Since 1971, he has been a disciple of traditional Shitoryu Karate
(糸東流) and is currently a 6th Dan.


Bunbu Ryodo (文武両道-both pen & sword) is his mantra and he
applies martial art philosophies and strategies to business.