Takahashi to head new R3 Japan office

TOKYO R3 has opened a new Japan office to build on increasing demand for its services from MNC clients.

R3 Japan will be led by business analyst Madoka Takahashi, who has spent three years as a consultant at Equipe de Sophille, a boutique research consultancy that works with Denstu.

"Clients realise that Japan is too important to not have improved efficiencies and effectiveness, but there's still a gap between Japanese best practice and world best practice," said R3 principal and founder Greg Paull.

Paull added that R3 would also look to produce an agency image study, similar to one already developed in China, for the Japanese market. "There's no market harder to crack in Asia for transparency and fair play as Japan - we have been waiting to find the right time and  right talent to make an impact."

Meanwhile, in China, R3 has added three new hires: Karen Xu, Alice Xiao and Emma Zhao.