Our Coaches

Coach Partners

Mayumi Brenner

Cross Border Connect

Career Coach Specializing in Overseas Career Transitions and Global Careers.

After studying in the UK, Brenner Mayumi relocated to Hong Kong, working at a Japanese bank and an American event company before serving as the Hong Kong and China President for Tempstaff/Intelligence(DODA) – now Persol Holdings. Over 16 years, she supported thousands of individuals in career transitions and provided HR and labor solutions to thousands of companies. She successfully established four offices in Hong Kong and China and led joint venture and integration projects with a U.S.-based recruitment firm,Kelly Services.

In 2017, she moved to California, USA, and founded Cross Border Connect (CBC), a career coaching company that supports individuals aspiring to pursue global careers. She is a certified coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a member of Professional Association of Resume Writing and Career Coach and a proud mother of three.

John Edward McGraw

Hiyaku Coaching

John Edward McGraw helps newcomers, governments, and businesses connect across cultures to succeed in less time and pain.

Canadian by birth, John’s passion for culture came from living and working in Japan for several years as an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) instructor. After moving back to Canada, he became a Certified Intercultural Coach and Facilitator and founded Hiyaku Coaching to help bridge cultural divides in Canada.

John has worked with nonprofit organizations helping newcomers settle into Canada, coached international professionals on adapting to Canada’s workplace culture, and trained and advised a Canadian municipal government’s upcoming trade mission to Japan.

Yuki Gotanda

Yuki Gotanda Coaching & Consulting Inc

Yuki is an ICF-certified Coach, Erickson Certified Professional Coach (ECPC), and Trauma-Informed Certified Coach (TICC). Yuki works with clients in different stages of their career development (young professionals, mid-career professionals, leadership transition, senior leaders, and the third age/retirement).

Partnering with her clients, Yuki takes a holistic approach, focusing on the client’s longer-term career/life satisfaction.

Before becoming a coach, Yuki worked in the International development/humanitarian sector. She has over 20 years of international experience in the private sector, UN, and NGOs and worked in 19 countries throughout Africa, Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe. Having managed humanitarian projects in hardship duty stations, Yuki strongly believes in the importance of staff wellness and career development support.

She currently offers coaching services in English and Japanese

Kasia

Ikigai Connections

Kasia (カーシャ) a trilingual American who spent 8 years in Japan, including high school, college, graduate school, and her professional career. She earned her Bachelor’s from Boston University and Master’s from Tokyo’s Ochanomizu University.

Kasia’s career utilizing Japanese language and cultural skills began in 2003 with concert promotion, and later moved to interpreting/translating, electronics, and the automotive industry. She was able to do this while living in Japan, Poland, Italy, and the US.

Since starting Ikigai Connections in 2018, Kasia has been featured in various Japan-related podcasts, websites, and webinars, including the US-Japan Bridging Foundation, USJETAA, Laurasian Institution, and BFF Tokyo. Her goal is for NihongoJobs.com to become the go-to job board for all Japanese jobs in the US.

Emily Frank

Career Catalyst

Emily is a professional career counselor with over 15 years of experience, ranging from higher education to private practice. She was a JET Program participant in Hokkaido and likes to work with people interested in US-Japan relations.

She has a passion for
working with creative people and those transitioning back to life in the US. Her practice covers deeply personal topics like identity and finding meaning, as well as such nitty-gritty things like resumes and salary negotiation.

She holds a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Smith College and an M.A. in professional counseling from Regis University in Denver, CO. She calls Denver home, but is happy to work with people all over the world.

Shinsuke Kiyono

Executive, Management, and Career Coach
Founder & CEO at Cornerstone Strategy LLC

Shinsuke is a professional coach with extensive experience in learning and development, cultural transformation, change management, and driving mindset and behavior change in various industries.

He has been involved in various projects with key roles at Accenture Japan and Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting, two of the world’s leading consulting firms.

As a coach, Shinsuke offers a wide range of coaching services, including executive coaching, management coaching, and career coaching. He combines coaching and consulting methodologies to enhance executive decision-making and leadership skills, support management development, and guide professionals in achieving their career goals. His coaching approach is rooted in a blend of practical consulting insights and transformational coaching techniques.

He received his coaching training from the Tokyo Coaching Association (TCA) and holds the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) designation from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). In addition, Shinsuke holds several certifications related to communication and behavior management, including Anger Management, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and others.

Credentials

ICF Asociate Certified Coach (ACC)
NLP Master Practitioner (American Board of NLP)
LAB Profile® Master Practitioner
Anger Management Specialist Category I (National Anger Management Association)
Affiliate of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)
Member of PayrollOrg