HubSpot’s GM for Japan resigns | News

HubSpot’s general manager for Japan, Yuri Akahira, is understood to have resigned after six months in the role.

Akahira joined HubSpot upon launch in Japan from Meltwater, where she was Japan managing director, in June 2016. The reason for her resignation, and who will lead the office in the interim, is not yet known.

HubSpot has a staff of 14 in Japan. Its clients operate predominantly in the B2B tech space. It competes with companies such as Marketo and Pardot. Prior to launching an official presence in Japan, it operated via a total of 16 partners such as 24-7, which recently became the company’s first ‘Diamond Partner’ in Asia.

Speaking to Campaign recently, Akahira said that Japan is behind the curve in terms of understanding of inbound marketing, and digital marketing in general, especially among small and midsize businesses (SMB), which are HubSpot’s core clients.

Akahira is a graduate of the University of Oregon and helped establish Meltwater in Japan in 2008.