An Interview with Founder and CEO Michael Takagawa
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What led you to develop an advisory firm for C-Suite executives?
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The Corporate Edge approach first stemmed from my own experience as a Fortune 500 senior
executive and company president. During my 20-year tenure leading companies and organizations,
I faced many critical initiatives such as company reorganizations and boards of directors stakeholder
alignments. The pressures were high, the consequences great, and the old adage, “It’s lonely at the
top,” was all too true.
Fortunately, I made an early and wise decision to retain a CEO advisor who made a substantial impact
on my business and leadership development. Through this experience and my observation of other
senior executives, I discovered that the traditional model of executive coaching did not address the
more complex needs of CEO’s, presidents, and other senior leaders, but were instead geared more
toward mid-level managers. I realized that there existed a real need for a kind of trusted advisor, an
individual or a team to whom a high-level executive could turn for counsel and advice, as well as for
practical ‘hands-on’ assistance with key stakeholder groups.
My goal was to develop a different type of client relationship—one that would address the unique
needs of the highest level of leader. The model would be a sophisticated, highly personalized
approach that would address the multi-faceted, high stakes demands of the senior executive, such as
board of directors management, executive team performance, external stakeholder management,
organizational change, and company performance.
Finally, because the needs of most CEOs are so diverse, the model I envisioned would include a team
approach—one where various Corporate Edge resources and areas of specialized expertise could be
accessed by our clients. This model has been termed the Corporate Edge® Executive Partner
approach.
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What is the difference between your CEO / C-Level advisory approach versus the more traditional individual coaching services?
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At Corporate Edge, our approach focuses on larger strategic issues, with all work tied to direct
companywide performance measures. As a result, we tend to form long-term partnerships with our
clients, providing advisory services around organizational strategy, executive mentoring, CEO best
practices, and team performance initiatives—all while measuring results to specific companywide
goals. In contrast, the nature of traditional executive coaching tends to be more short-term and tactical.
Its work is typically “soft-focused” with results that are often positive, but difficult to quantify or measure.
Because of our long-term client relationships, we are also typically granted open, but confidential,
access to the inner workings of our client’s executive staff and board meetings, which ensures
awareness of and adherence to long-term strategic alignment.
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What results have you seen your executive partnerships bring to organizations?
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The business results have been very strong on an organizational level. We’ve seen successful
business turnarounds and acquisitions, measurable gains in shareholder value and performance,
and increased gains in employee retention and productivity.
We have been fortunate to partner with organizations that have received prestigious recognitions such
as Fortune Magazine’s America’s Most Admired Companies; Forbes Most Admired Companies; San
Francisco Business Times, Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, and the East Bay Business
Times 100 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area.
On a career basis, we have been pleased to work with several first-time company presidents who have
since gone on to achieve prominence as high-profile CEOs and Board of Director roles. Several have
received noted business and achievement awards such as San Francisco Business Times Bay Area’s
Most Influential Women in Business, San Francisco Business Times Bay Area’s Most Influential Women
in Business and the Marie R. Pistilli Achievement Award. In addition, our clients have achieved
numerous promotions, career milestones, and gained greater happiness and control while revitalizing
their teams’ performance.
Perhaps the greatest honor for the team at Corporate Edge, however, is knowing that we’ve
established strong, long-term relationships with our clients. We’ve become more than vendors and are
truly a part of our clients’ teams, sharing and celebrating in their successes and achievements. We are
honored to be part of their most critical career or organizational endeavors.
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