Corporate Directions
Corporate Directions (CDI), founded in 1986 by former Boston Consulting Group principals, is a Tokyo-based management strategy consulting firm serving roughly 1,000 large Japanese enterprises with strategy, M&A, organizational transformation, and cross-border Asia-Pacific advisory services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Corporate Directions does
Corporate Directions, Inc. (CDI; 株式会社コーポレイトディレクション ディレクション) is a privately held Japanese management and strategy consulting firm headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, founded in January 1986 by Wataru Yoshikoshi and 12 colleagues who left Boston Consulting Group. The firm operates with approximately 80 group employees (as of May 2023) and has cumulatively served roughly 1,000 enterprise clients, primarily Japanese listed companies. Under long-serving CEO Kohtaro Ishii (2003–June 2023) and current CEO Tatsuhiro Ogawa, CDI runs a multi-unit Group structure that includes wholly-owned subsidiaries (CDI Medical, ACTIVATION STRATEGY), regional entities (CDI-China, CDI-Vietnam, CDI Asia-Pacific headquartered in Singapore, Taipei representative office), an in-house Kyushu office opened in November 2024, and joint ventures (Strategic Insight with Aucnet, Licht with Akatsuki Honsha, Senshukai Make Co- with Senshukai).
CDI delivers fee-based professional consulting services across a wide industry and theme matrix: by industry (financial services, automotive, IT/communications, media, energy, materials, chemicals, electronics, healthcare/life sciences, medical/welfare, food, consumer goods, distribution/retail, services, real estate, construction, transportation) and by theme (corporate and business strategy, new business development, sales and marketing, R&D and innovation, operations, organization and HR, venture support, M&A and PMI, overseas consulting). The firm conducts original research that is published as the CDI Newsletter (No. 88 in 2026), CDI Robotics Industry Report, CDI India Insight, and the CDI China 'Da Jiankang' monthly — these publications function as brand and pipeline assets rather than commercial products.
The business model is traditional professional services: project-based fees determined through structured, partner-led enterprise sales where senior consultants conduct initial consultations, develop project proposals, and then deliver multi-year engagements. There is no proprietary software, platform, or technology product, no disclosed AI/ML capability, no app, no public API, and no recurring SaaS-style revenue stream. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, the firm does not disclose revenue figures, and ownership rests with the management team without disclosed PE/VC or institutional backing. Geographic reach spans Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan, with marketing concentrated in thought leadership, research reports, and seminars rather than digital or performance-based acquisition channels.
Corporate Directions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Corporate Directions
- Legal name
- 株式会社コーポレイト ディレクション (Corporate Directions, Inc.)
- Website
- https://cdi-japan.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Corporate Directions (CDI), founded in 1986 by former Boston Consulting Group principals, is a Tokyo-based management strategy consulting firm serving roughly 1,000 large Japanese enterprises with strategy, M&A, organizational transformation, and cross-border Asia-Pacific advisory services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Corporate Directions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices6 records
Markets served
Corporate Directions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Management Consulting Services: Fee-based consulting services for strategic planning and implementation support, organizational restructuring, and information systems consulting. Services are project-based rather than subscription or recurring models.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based consulting fees determined through detailed proposal process |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Corporate Directions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Corporate Directions (CDI) is a management strategy consulting firm that delivers project-based advisory engagements to large Japanese enterprises and their Asia-Pacific operations. Its core services span corporate and business strategy formulation, new business development, M&A advisory and post-merger integration, organizational and HR transformation, R&D/innovation, sales and marketing, operations improvement, and overseas/Asia consulting. CDI does not sell software products or technology platforms; it sells expert consulting services delivered by partner-class consultants through structured engagements.
Product overview
Corporate Directions (CDI) is a management strategy consulting firm that provides advisory services across multiple industries and functional areas. The company does not offer software products or technology platforms; its offerings consist entirely of consulting services including business strategy formulation, new business development, M&A advisory, organizational transformation, and operational improvement. CDI operates as a single integrated consulting service rather than a product-based technology company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Corporate and Business Strategy Consulting Whole-company and business strategy formulation for large Japanese enterprises and their Asia-Pacific operations, addressing major crossroads and transformation decisions.
- New Business Development Consulting Consulting support for creating new businesses, including ideation, business model design, and go-to-market for Japanese corporates and ventures.
- M&A and PMI Consulting Advisory on M&A strategy and post-merger integration (PMI) for Japanese enterprises, including deal sourcing support and integration execution.
- Organizational and HR Transformation Consulting Consulting support for organizational redesign, HR transformation, and cultural change to align with strategic shifts and environmental changes.
- Overseas and Asia-Pacific Consulting Cross-border strategy, Asia market entry, and international operations support delivered through CDI offices in Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Singapore, and Taipei.
- Healthcare and Medical Consulting (CDI Medical) Specialized medical and healthcare consulting services for healthcare providers, pharma, and related sectors, delivered through CDI's wholly-owned subsidiary CDI Medical.
- Strategic Activation Consulting (ACTIVATION STRATEGY) Specialized strategic consulting services delivered through CDI's wholly-owned subsidiary ACTIVATION STRATEGY.
Companies that use Corporate Directions
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Corporate Directions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Corporate Directions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Aranca (Manufacturing Research)coreSpecial Interview collaboration on India manufacturing evolution research. Partnership provides in-depth analysis of 'Make in India' to 'Design in India' transformation.
- Economics DesignminorCollaboration with Economics Design on economics business applications. Partnership focuses on providing dialogue articles and joint thought leadership on economic perspectives in business strategy.
- Universal ConsultingcoreStrategic business partnership with Universal Consulting, a strategy and management consulting firm. The partnership enables CDI to expand service capabilities and geographic reach through collaborative consulting engagements.
- ArancacorePartnership with Aranca, a global research and analytics firm. The collaboration enhances CDI's research capabilities and provides clients with enhanced market intelligence and analytical services.
- Shift Vision (シフト・ビジョン)minorJoint seminar on 'Fundamentally Rethinking Overseas Business Expansion from People and Organization Perspective'.
- Akatsuki Holdings (あかつき本社)coreJoint venture company 'Licht (リヒト)' established for business co-creation. The JV focuses on new business development and has launched initiatives including pet wellness business collaboration with PETOKOTO and pet-friendly housing projects.
- Aucnet (オークネット)coreJoint venture partnership to establish 'Strategic Insight' (ストラテジックインサイト), a strategic consulting firm. The JV combines CDI's consulting expertise with Aucnet's business platform to provide enhanced strategic advisory services.
- Taiwan Economic Research Institute (台湾経済研究院)coreComprehensive business partnership established between CDI and Taiwan Economic Research Institute. The partnership aimed to provide mutual business support and joint consulting services in Taiwan and broader Asian markets.
- SPEEDAminorCDI-China participated in SPEEDA-hosted seminar on 'Winning in Asia's Transformation' discussing local subsidiary planning capabilities and practical collaboration knowledge.
- Economics DesignminorCollaboration on applying economics to business practice. Joint dialogue article 'Why EDI×CDI? Its Fertile Frontier' published to share insights on economic design applications.
- ABEJAminorCo-hosted seminar with ABEJA focusing on AI and technology applications in business consulting and transformation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Corporate Directions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bain & Company: Global management and strategy consulting firm with deep Japan presence. Direct peer: CDI shares the same BCG lineage heritage and serves large Japanese corporates on strategy, M&A, and transformation engagements.
- Boston Consulting Group: Global strategy consulting firm where CDI's founders and several senior leaders originated. Direct peer competing for the same Japanese listed-company strategy and transformation mandates.
- Baycurrent Inc. Major Japan-headquartered strategy and management consulting firm that IPO'd on TSE. Closest Japan-domestic peer: comparable in serving Japanese listed enterprises, similar engagement types, with proven public-market valuation benchmark.
- Kearney (formerly A.T. Kearney): Global management consulting firm with established Japan presence serving strategy and operations engagements for Japanese corporates. Comparable in size, methodology, and customer profile to CDI.
- L.E.K. Consulting: Global strategy consulting firm with strong Asia-Pacific presence and Japan office. Direct competitor in corporate strategy, M&A advisory, and growth strategy for Japanese and Asian clients.
- Arthur D. Little: Global management consulting firm with Japan operations serving strategy, technology, and transformation work for large enterprises. Comparable mid-size global strategy peer with similar client profile.
- McKinsey & Company: Largest global strategy consulting firm with a substantial Tokyo office serving Japanese listed enterprises. Direct competitor in CDI's primary customer segment and engagement types (corporate strategy, transformation, M&A).
- Roland Berger: European-origin global strategy consulting firm with strong Japan operations. Directly comparable to CDI in serving Japanese enterprise clients on corporate strategy and operational transformation.
Broad incumbents
- NRI Consulting (Nomura Research Institute): Japan-based consulting arm of Nomura Research Institute, serving large Japanese corporates on strategy, IT, and management consulting. Adjacent peer with comparable customer base but broader IT/systems focus.
- Strategy& (PwC's strategy consulting business): Global strategy consulting business within PwC network, with Japan presence. Comparable in serving Japanese large enterprises on strategy and transformation, though positioned as part of PwC's broader professional services portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Corporate Directions social profiles
Digital presenceCorporate Directions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Corporate Directions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Corporate Directions subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Corporate Directions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Corporate Directions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Corporate Directions
What does Corporate Directions do?
Corporate Directions (CDI) is a management strategy consulting firm that delivers project-based advisory engagements to large Japanese enterprises and their Asia-Pacific operations. Its core services span corporate and business strategy formulation, new business development, M&A advisory and post-merger integration, organizational and HR transformation, R&D/innovation, sales and marketing, operations improvement, and overseas/Asia consulting. CDI does not sell software products or technology platforms; it sells expert consulting services delivered by partner-class consultants through structured engagements.
Is Corporate Directions a public or private company?
Corporate Directions is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Corporate Directions founded?
Corporate Directions was founded in 1986. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Corporate Directions based?
Corporate Directions is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Corporate Directions make money?
One revenue line is on record: management Consulting Services.
Who are Corporate Directions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Baycurrent Inc., Kearney (formerly A.T. Kearney), L.E.K. Consulting, Arthur D. Little, McKinsey & Company and Roland Berger. Broad incumbents are NRI Consulting (Nomura Research Institute) and Strategy& (PwC's strategy consulting business).
Does Corporate Directions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Corporate Directions.