Family business succession requires more than informal agreements. Boyden Canada Managing Partner Jim Harmon explains why formal succession planning, governance, and objective leadership assessments are critical to protecting business value, family wealth, and long-term stability.
Yiwen Li is an executive search professional specializing in IT and digital leadership for multinational organizations in Japan. She partners with clients to identify and appoint bilingual technology leaders, including CIOs, CTOs and CISOs, as well as senior executives and specialists across digital transformation, information security, data and analytics, applications, and IT infrastructure.
Professional Focus
- Nearly 10 years of experience in executive search and recruitment, primarily supporting multinational organizations operating in Japan
- Specialization in senior IT and technology appointments, including CIO, CTO and CISO searches, as well as leadership roles across digital transformation and change management, information security, data and analytics, application management and delivery, and IT infrastructure
- Experience partnering with clients across financial services, luxury, FMCG, healthcare, consulting, manufacturing and other industries
- Native Mandarin speaker, fluent in English and Japanese (JLPT N1)
Business Expertise
- Team Leader and Executive Consultant, Digitalization and Technology, at a Tokyo-based executive search and recruitment firm focused on multinational organizations in Japan, leading technology searches and key client engagements
- IT Recruiting Manager at a major global executive search and recruitment firm
- Senior Consultant, Finance and Accounting, at a Tokyo-based recruitment firm serving multinational clients, following earlier roles as Consultant and Associate Consultant
- Earlier experience with an international recruitment firm in Tokyo
Additional Expertise
- IT & Technology
- CIO / CTO / CISO Leadership
- Digital Transformation & Change
- Information Security & Cybersecurity
- Data & Analytics
- Applications & Enterprise Systems
- IT Infrastructure & Cloud
- IT Services & Consulting
- Software
- Global & Multinational Organizations
- Financial Services
- Luxury & Consumer
- FMCG
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
Areas of Expertise
Education & Certifications
- Bachelor’s degree, Fordham University, New York
How Boyden placed a COO to transform global operations and build U.S. capacity for an international building and façade automation company.
A medium-sized mechanical engineering company took advantage of the close cooperation between executive search and interim management to quickly fill a critical COO position while simultaneously transforming its production processes in a sustainable manner.
As Detroit City FC prepared for a transformative move to a new stadium, Boyden partnered with the club to appoint a Chief Revenue Officer capable of driving commercial growth while preserving the community spirit that defines one of the most distinctive organizations in North American soccer.
Discover why MedTech leadership succession is a strategic imperative—and how these companies can build strong, future-ready executive pipelines.
Industrial Trends Report: Analysing markets, studies, and trends on how AI, machine learning, and digitalisation are reshaping the industrial sector, with expert insights on talent and leadership from Boyden’s Global Industrial Practice Members.
As a family conglomerate grew in scale and complexity, its decentralized structure began to limit alignment. A generational transition created the opportunity to rethink leadership at the group level. Here’s how introducing centralized leadership brought clarity, coordination, and stronger governance.
Private company boards have moved from relationship‑based oversight to capability‑driven leadership, responding to the demands of faster, more complex operating environments.
The Business Times explores the growing demand for Chiefs of Staff as CEOs navigate increasing complexity, with insights from Boyden Managing Partner Craig Stevens on why the role has become an essential strategic partner in today's business environment.
As CEOs navigate the growing complexity of the AI era, demand for chiefs of staff is surging as organizations seek trusted strategic advisors who can help leaders prioritize, execute, and solve critical business challenges.
Contact Yiwen Li today and let's get started
