Craig Roberts | Senior Consultant – Human Resources

Craig is a senior global Human Resources executive with broad change & transformational general management experience in complex global matrix organizations, and in roles navigating global, corporate, regional and operations stakeholders.

Craig has 22 years of experience in Japanese and European technology-based manufacturing organizations in Japan and Europe, and in global B2B and B2C businesses in automotive and industrial sectors. He is skilled in strategic HR best practice, including M&A, organizational development, cross-cultural management, diversity & inclusion, kaizen process improvement and ISO-9001.

Craig holds a Bachelor of Business (Finance/Marketing) from the University of South Australia. Craig’s postgraduate qualifications include a Master of Business & Technology at the University of New South Wales and a Master of Asian Studies at the University of New England. He has completed the Executive Leadership Program at INSEAD Business School in France.

Craig is an Australian national based in Japan, with business-level Japanese fluency.

Craig served in a volunteer capacity as Chair of the Human Resources Committee of the European Business Council in Japan during 2019 through 2021.

Expertise

Strategic Human Resources
Cross-cultural management
Kaizen and lean manufacturing implementation
Organizational development
Mergers & Acquisitions

Experience

Mahle Group – Director Human Resources Asia Pacific

Based in Tokyo and reporting to the Corporate Executive Vice President Human Resources and CHRO, this role held broad responsibility for the human resources function in APAC, with a clear functional mandate for HR transformation and organization change. During this seven-year period, successfully oversaw major organization development and M&A activity in Japan, to integrate acquired strategic businesses with domestic operations and cultures. Worked with the local business to create and roll out a talent acquisition and leadership development program, and introduced a new human resources operating model. Played a central lead role in the COVID-19 response, in successfully shifting the organization to new ways of working.

Yanmar Group – Multiple HR Leadership Roles

During a 15-year period with Yanmar, held roles including Senior Manager Global HR (Osaka), Director HR & GA (Netherlands), Global Project Manager – HR (Osaka) and Senior International HR Change Lead (Osaka). Highlights include introducing a strategic Global Talent System framework to standardize performance management, succession planning and leadership develpoment systems in the global organization, leading a major reorganization of the European Regional Headquarters, and leading a continous improvement training program for Yanmar’s key overseas administrative operations, based on principles of lean management and learnings from Nissan Consulting’s V-Up program.