Aesara Partners 

At Aesara Partners, our mission is simple: enable you to be the best version of yourself. We offer a range of focused services that unlock the potential of people, teams and cultures to maximise business performance. 

Collectively our Partners and Associates have decades of experience both in executive coaching and as board level leaders themselves working in multiple sectors across global markets.

Partner & Executive Coach

Doshisha University

Professor of Strategic Management, Global MBA Program

The CFO Coach K.K.

The CFO Coach K.K. is a boutique executive coaching firm specializing in developing High-Performance​ Financial Leaders and Teams.

Founder & Executive Coach

Kansai Gaidai University

•	Awarded President's Global Education Award (Teacher of the Year).

Professor of Leadership & Management

Benesse Holdings, Inc. (USD 4.5B; Tokyo Stock Exchange Code: 9783)

•	Member of the Board of Directors for Berlitz Corporation; Benesse Corporation; and Benesse Style Care.  Chairman of Audit Committee for Berlitz Corporation. Member of Benesse Holdings Pension Committee.
•	Global CFO covering all 40+ Benesse group companies
•	Championed and supported multiple cash generation initiatives including a CFO led "Save to Grow" initiative to improve Company Financial performance and to identify significant savings for business reinvestment
•	Enhanced Finance bench strength and hired a high potential team to start financial business consulting
•	Implemented several process and capability best practices to move group companies towards global standards

Global Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Senior Vice President

McCann Worldgroup Holdings

• Overall Responsibility for Operations (Finance, IT, Legal, and Administration - 10 legal entities) 
• Successfully turned around long term loss making lead agency by delivering double digit margin improvements within two years
• Delivered double digit margin improvements for all six MWG Group companies 
• Built a new Finance team and moved from Scorekeeping to Business Partnership and improved business performance
• Major projects within last two years include: 
  - Shared Service center creation/migration
  - New Financial System Migration
  - Acquisition & Divestiture
  - Business Turnaround
  - Retirement Plan consolidation/change
  - Office relocation/rent reductions

Group Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and Member of The Board

Becton, Dickinson and Company

• Led Finance, Procurement, General Affairs, and Rebates teams (43 staff) to deliver multi-million dollar cash and profit performance improvement for first year and beyond. Exceeded all budget expectations.
• Engaged Japan Management Team and Global Finance Leadership Team on company objectives to deliver best outcome (Finance Transformation initiative, Sales effectiveness improvement, Key Account Management, Business Continuity plan, and strategy/selection of backup distribution center).  Led process for 2012-16 Business Plan development
• Developed and executed Finance department strategy and vision to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Implemented job rotation program and hired several high potential employees to improve bench strength.
• Championed multiple Finance and Procurement initiatives including definition and implementation of new 401k Retirement Plan; divestiture of non-core business; change of primary banks (reduced bank fees by over 30%); vendor reduction process, and new travel expense management system 
• Taught New Manager Essentials program and selected as leadership trainer for PEPFAR program in South Africa to teach Leadership and Change Management to African Health Ministry officials

Finance and Administration Director

Avon Products Inc.

•	Implementation project leader for Avon Sales Leadership Framework (ASLF) – Highest priority project for the Company to adapt to a new Sales Model.  Completed project implementation in record timing.  Awarded regional award as part of ASLF Team. Only person in Asia recognized for both Top-line and Bottom-line contributions in the same year.
•	Defined and executed new vision and mission and led Sales Support department to complete over 40 initiatives (within a six-month period) as part of Team’s new journey towards field motivational excellence. Incorporated new processes to deliver high impact incentives, and to create Sales energy and momentum for sales turn-around.    
•	Achieved highest employee engagement scores with Sales Support Department significantly exceeding country results in over 95% of categories.  Previously had also led Finance department to highest employee engagement scores.
•	Global Project leader for a high potential, multi-functional, multi-national team to study and recommend actions to improve Global Sales Incentive management/spending process.
•	Oversaw execution of a variety of Company and Public/Media events ranging from Sales Conferences to Philanthropic events including Annual Awards to Women, and Pink Ribbon Campaign support.

Executive Director and Member of the Board

•	Responsible for Financial policy making/implementation and reporting for Avon Japan as a public company (including statutory/public, and Board Meetings). All year-end financial documents audited with no comments/exceptions.
•	Defined and executed new department Vision and Mission, and recruited, trained and developed a completely new Finance team (80% new hires within a six month period) to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Finance team formed core of country high potential list.
•	Consistently over achieved profit performance commitment under adverse conditions of sales decline by aggressively managing strategic business needs with cost cutting; Delivered zero overhead growth during all years; Japan winner of regional awards for best cost management performance, and for boldest transformation strategy.
•	Provided leadership and support for critical decisions and strategy development as Japan Leadership Team Member.  Actively led change management process within company.
•	Consistently achieved best internal control results in Asia-Pacific/Avon over a period of eight audits.  Japan one of only two countries with highest audit rating. Outstanding performance generated support to remove Japan from list of High Coverage countries.
• Co-developed strategic/financial business case, and obtained approval for number of campaign reduction in 2006 making Avon Japan only country ever in Avon to undergo campaign reduction. 
• Independently analyzed and provided strategic direction for Plant study which challenged and reversed previous recommendation by outside consultants on plant closure.
• Provided leadership in several restructuring initiatives by providing an achievable plan to achieve 12% people related cost reduction.  Played lead role in this study representing Finance, Supply Chain and HR 
• Consistently achieved highest performance rating and nominations to several high potential programs
• Elected (and re-elected) to Board of Directors

Executive Director, CFO and Member of the Board of Directors

Delphi

• Prepared Asia-Pacific regional messages / presentations for Delphi Strategy Board, and for Delphi Board of Directors.
• Supported development and implementation of critical Asia-Pacific strategies.  Performed competitive intelligence and other special studies to identify risks / competitive threats and outlined regional / corporate response.
• Provided Miller Heiman strategic selling process training to Asia-Pacific personnel to improve value propositions and increase sales effectiveness.

Director Asia-Pacific Planning

• Management responsibilities for Finance, HR, General Affairs, and Six-Sigma.
• Active member of the Japan Strategy Board and Japan management team.  
• Six-Sigma Deployment Champion for Delphi Japan.

Delphi Japan – CFO & Administration Director

Country Responsibilities:
• Managed all finance functions including accounting, budgeting / forecasting and treasury.
• Lead development of cross-functional and cross-divisional Internal Control Review Board.
• Lead and supported strategic initiatives including venture development support, site enhancement, competitive analysis, transfer pricing, and cost reduction studies.
• Represented Japan in Asia-Pacific Financial Task Team.

Regional Responsibilities:
• Coached country CFO and staff to implement common financial reporting processes.
• Supervised and provided training for engineering / commercial / plant / site analysts.  Coordinated regional financial training programs for the sector in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Coordinated the regional budget, business plan, and capital management process.
• Supported development of common financial practices among ventures including:  Loan monitoring, F/X and cash management, compliance with accounting principles, report submission, etc. Provided regional oversight of venture risk exposure.

Asia-Pacific Senior Finance Mgr.

Executive Coach | MBA Professor | Ex-Global CFO

I help senior leaders master complexity, elevate strategic impact, and lead with authentic authority.

I bring over 25 years of C-level and boardroom experience as a former Global CFO for a $5B publicly traded company, combined with a deep commitment to human-centered leadership development.

Today, I coach global executives, CEOs, and leadership teams — specializing in executive transitions, strategic leadership, high-performance teams, and Asian leadership development.

I am also an MBA Professor of Leadership and Strategic Management, blending research-driven frameworks with boardroom-tested insights to develop transformational leaders.

Based in Kyoto, fluent in English, Urdu, and Japanese.

Connect with me: arif@thecfocoach.jp

Website: www.thecfocoach.jp (please sign up on my mailing list to receive future announcements and newsletters)

Arif Iqball

Open to: Board roles • Executive leadership opportunities • Advisory positions • Public speaking engagements in technology, policy, and digital transformation.

I’m a senior executive with 25+ years of leadership experience across data, technology, and policy, delivering measurable impact and innovation in complex, regulated environments.

Currently, I serve as CEO of LegaMart, a global legal-tech platform operating in 128 countries. I lead strategic growth, investor relations, AI integration, platform development, and governance. This role has sharpened my commercial acumen and provided full exposure to scaling a high-growth digital business, engaging investors, managing risk, and building sustainable value.

I bring board-level expertise in aligning digital strategy, evidence, and policy to unlock performance, resilience, and long-term impact across professional bodies, regulators, public institutions, and commercial tech platforms.

✅ Core strengths include:
- Executive leadership across AI, data strategy, digital platforms, and policy
- Scalable innovation and investor engagement in technology-led environments
- AI governance, regulation, and ethical implementation
- KPI-driven transformation in high-trust, regulated organisations
- Policy strategy, research leadership, and public value creation

✅ Research Expertise & Public Profile

I have a strong record of applied research and thought leadership that has influenced national policy. As Head of Research & Policy at ScreenSkills, I led the 2012 Employment Census of the Creative Media Industries, the largest of its kind, spanning TV, film, and interactive media. Its findings directly informed the creation of Project Diamond, a landmark diversity monitoring framework still used by UK broadcasters.

My work has consistently translated research into action, from informing DCMS’s adoption of the Creative Industries Economic Estimates as Official Statistics, to leading Future Worlds 2050 at The Law Society, which shaped cross-sector policy discussions on AI, law, and society.

I am regularly invited to speak at national and international conferences, and I publish across themes including AI ethics, innovation strategy, and regulatory futures. I have appeared on BBC News, Times Radio, and other platforms to translate complex insights for public and policy audiences.

Kion Ahadi

The most expensive AI education in the world... is free. All from NVIDIA the company that powers everything from ChatGPT to autonomous vehicles.
And it’s just a click away.

As someone who’s spent two decades driving digital transformation and AI strategy across legal tech, government, and professional bodies, including overseeing AI-powered innovation at The Law Society and scaling a global legal tech platform to 128 countries, I know how vital hands-on, accessible learning is to staying ahead.

Here are 11 NVIDIA courses you can access right now, all free and linked directly:

1. Generative Al Explained 
A simple intro to how gen Al works. No coding required. Link: https://lnkd.in/gGzipKBq 

2. Building A Brain in 10 Minutes 
Learn how neural networks think in under 10 min. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/giHj9tCM 

3. Al for All: From Basics to GenAl 
Practice From machine learning basics to creative Al tools. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/gGzipKBq 

4. Getting Started with Al on Jetson Nano 
Build your first neural network with hands-on notebooks. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/gbP9QUQZ 

5. Introduction to Al in the Data Center 
Learn GPU architecture and Al deployment basics. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/gq4GZ5SP 

6. An Even Easier Introduction to CUDA 
Start parallel programming on GPUs. Beginner-friendly. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/gq4GZ5SP 

7. Introduction to NVIDIA NIM Microservices 
Build, deploy, and scale Al models the simple way. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/gJSZW6Dc 

8. Generative Al in Digital Health 
Build Al chatbots for healthcare and clinical notes. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/gApPyj5W 

9. Al Weather Models with NVIDIA Earth-2 
Explore Al for weather prediction and climate apps. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/gCCtcUNt 

10. Accelerated Computing with CUDA C/C++ GPU computing fundamentals. Start with vector addition. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/g9F5aKzS 

11. Generative Al with NeMo 
Customize text and multimodal Al models easily. 
Link: https://lnkd.in/gFaDpab8

✅ Key Takeaway:
Whether you’re in legal, data, public policy, or tech, learning from the source is a game-changer. I’ve helped shape national AI governance frameworks and led multi-million-pound digital transformations. 

These NVIDIA resources align with exactly the kind of skillsets future leaders will need.

Which one will you start with? Drop it in the comments. 👇

Happy Saturday!

______________________________________________________
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Dr. Kion Ahadi

Your AI agent can be hacked.
Probably easier than you think.

We’re rushing to launch AI systems.
Most of them wouldn’t survive a serious attack.

After 20+ years leading digital, data and cyber strategy, I can tell you this:

The risk is being underestimated.

Here are 7 ways your AI system can be taken down overnight:

🔴 Token Passthrough
 You accept tokens without checking them.
 You’re trusting strangers by default.
 Impact: 8/10

🔴 Credential Theft
 Passwords in logs. Secrets in config files.
 Attackers don’t break in. They log in.
 Impact: 8/10

🔴 Rug Pull Attack
 A “trusted” update contains malware.
 Your own supplier becomes the breach.
 Impact: 7/10

🔴 Prompt Injection
 Hidden instructions your LLM follows without question.
 Your AI can be manipulated.
 Impact: 10/10

🔴 Command Injection
 Unfiltered input lets attackers run code on your system.
 That’s full control.
 Impact: 10/10

🔴 Tool Poisoning
 Malicious commands hidden in invisible characters.
 Your system executes what it doesn’t understand.
 Impact: 9/10

🔴 No Authentication
 No proper access control?
 Anyone can become admin.
 Impact: 9/10

Look at those numbers.

Five are critical.

Yet most teams are focused on features.
Speed.
Demos.

Very few are stress-testing failure.

We are building powerful autonomous systems
without securing the basics.

That’s not innovation.

That’s exposure.

The companies that win in AI won’t be the fastest.

They’ll be the ones that don’t get breached.

Security isn’t optional.

It’s the foundation.

If you’re deploying AI this year, have you tried to break your own system?

Credit to Vinod Bijlani for the visual that brings this to life.
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🔔 Follow me, Dr. Kion Ahadi, for insight at the intersection of AI, strategy, and transformation.

The most expensive courses in the world... are now free.

And they are just a click away

As a C-Suite and Board level leader who's spent 20+ years driving digital transformation, AI adoption, and strategy at organisations like the Law Society, Heritage Fund, and now leading LegaMart, I’ve seen first-hand how knowledge fuels career growth.

And today, I’m sharing 9 world-class courses, all 100% free, from three of the most prestigious universities in the world:

👑 Harvard University
👑 Yale University
👑 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

These aren’t just academic exercises.
They’re practical masterclasses in leadership, innovation, and growth.

Whether you want to improve your public speaking, boost your emotional intelligence, or break into AI and data, this list has you covered:

1️⃣Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking
 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eFTHE9ZK

2️⃣Leadership: Creating Public Value
 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ePQng4Ce

3️⃣Negotiating Salary
 🔗 https://lnkd.in/epxtfiyJ

4️⃣The Science of Well-Being
 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e_2ZWMc6

5️⃣Managing Emotions in Times of Stress
 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eTRxw3R9

6️⃣Financial Markets
 🔗 https://lnkd.in/etDDa3Qj

7️⃣Building and Leading Effective Teams
 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dtQbTNqf

8️⃣Intro to Computer Science & Python
 🔗 https://lnkd.in/drCr3tBG

9️⃣Managing Innovation and Entrepreneurship
 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d2xWziUq

You don’t need thousands to invest in your future.
Just curiosity, ambition, and 30 seconds to enrol.

Which course are you starting today?

Drop your pick below 👇 and don’t forget to repost to help someone else this week.


Huge thanks to my friend Josh S. for the visual breakdown.

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The most expensive AI education in the world... is now available free.

And it’s just a click away.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology just redefined what accessible AI education looks like, and it's a game-changer.

They have released 10 free, world-class AI courses. 
No coding required. 
No fees. 
Just pure access to some of the most valuable AI education available, from the same institution shaping the future of tech.

Here are some highlights:
1. Introduction to Machine Learning 
Learn the basics in plain English:
👉 https://lnkd.in/gT5HcRs5

2. Artificial Intelligence 
Understand how AI thinks and learns:
👉 https://lnkd.in/ggneRvcZ

3. Foundation Models and Generative AI 
Go behind the scenes of ChatGPT:
👉 https://lnkd.in/gNwgbtaE

4. Understanding the World Through Data 
Decode the data that shapes our lives:
👉 https://lnkd.in/gVdj_EhG

5. AI 101 
A beginner-friendly intro to key AI concepts:
👉 https://lnkd.in/gyJz7whc

6. Introduction to Deep Learning 
Explore the core of neural networks:
👉 https://lnkd.in/gq8PwrnP

7. ML with Python 
See how machines learn using Python:
👉 https://lnkd.in/gUdHfAhx

8. How to AI (Almost) Anything 
Creative uses of AI in music, art and more:
👉 https://lnkd.in/ghfgKgsx

9. AI in K-12 Education
Learn how AI is reshaping learning:
👉 https://lnkd.in/gs9Fesqy

10. Introduction to Algorithms
The logic behind smart AI systems:
👉 https://lnkd.in/g2P-3ptd

Whether you're a CEO navigating digital disruption, a policymaker shaping regulation, or a student just getting started, this is your launchpad.

Key Takeaways:
✅ AI is no longer niche. 
✅ It's foundational. 
✅ And thanks to MIT, it’s now free and accessible to anyone with curiosity and an internet connection.

Which course will you start with? Drop it in the comments. 👇

Happy Saturday!
________________________________________
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The most expensive AI education in the world... is now free.

And it’s just a click away.
(Says someone with a PhD who’s spent 20+ years in AI and digital transformation.)

You don’t need a formal degree to break into AI.
You need access, and the right starting points.

Here are 8 powerful, free AI courses that can help anyone, from executives to creatives, build real skills:

1. Google’s AI Learning Path
✅ Great for foundational knowledge
👉 https://lnkd.in/d-xihRua

2. Microsoft’s Deep Learning Journey
✅ Practical skills from a tech giant
👉 https://lnkd.in/ddP5wndp

3. Harvard’s AI with Python
✅ For the technically curious
👉 https://lnkd.in/dspziNjs

4. Vanderbilt’s Prompt Engineering Masterclass
✅ Perfect your ChatGPT skills
👉 https://lnkd.in/dHTiW7hV

5. OpenAI’s Developer Prompting Course
✅ Straight from the source
👉 https://lnkd.in/dXttWJRX

6. UC Davis Big Data Specialisation
✅ For those looking to scale AI
👉 https://lnkd.in/dtibd25C

7. AI for Everyone by Andrew Ng
✅ Accessible, non-technical intro
👉 https://lnkd.in/drqErXpz

8. edX Application Building with AI
✅ Build real-world AI solutions
👉 https://lnkd.in/dk2_bkMH

🔎 Key Takeaways
• AI mastery is now democratised
• These aren’t to be ignored, they’re from tech giants & top universities
• You just need curiosity and commitment

💬 Which one are you diving into first?

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The future of your career is one click away. 
It’s being rebuilt by OpenAI and it’s FREE.

📉 The World Economic Forum projected that 83 million jobs would disappear by 2027 due to automation and AI.

Here’s the hard truth in 2026:

🔑 Prompt engineering isn’t a “nice-to-have.”

It’s baseline professional literacy.

The ability to communicate with AI, clearly, strategically, iteratively, now sits at the heart of:
• Strategy development
• Data analysis
• Content creation
• Risk modelling
• Operational redesign

You’re no longer just using AI.
You’re orchestrating it.

Those fluent in prompting aren’t just more productive.

They’re structurally advantaged:
✅ They convert ambiguity into structured outputs in seconds
✅ They test decisions before they go live
✅ They compress execution timelines dramatically
✅ They build AI-augmented workflows without increasing headcount

Meanwhile, those who treat AI as “optional” are already behind.

🎓 The good news? The barrier to entry is still low.

OpenAI has released 10 FREE courses designed to build real AI fluency:

1. Advanced Prompt Engineering
https://lnkd.in/dhybVC8C

2. ChatGPT 101: A Guide to Your AI Super Assistant
https://lnkd.in/dA9CEdCF

3. ChatGPT Projects
https://lnkd.in/dRykR8dR

4. ChatGPT & Reasoning
https://lnkd.in/d-tVy2v5

5. Multimodality Explained
https://lnkd.in/d4uQGqZS

6. ChatGPT Search
https://lnkd.in/dEB3C6Mq

7. OpenAI, LLMs & ChatGPT
https://lnkd.in/dBjsEvj3

8. Introduction to GPTs
https://lnkd.in/diG_F35j

9. ChatGPT for Data Analysis
https://lnkd.in/drRn5Ptq

10. Deep Research
https://lnkd.in/dupmJGTS

Prompting isn’t optional anymore.

It’s the foundation of modern work.

If you’re not fluent in AI in 2026, you’re operating at a disadvantage.
Those who master this now won’t just adapt.

They’ll define how value is created over the next decade.

👇 Which course are you starting with?

Happy Friday!
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You're using the wrong AI.

And it is costing your organisation more than you realise.

Over the past 20+ years leading digital, data and AI transformation across regulated organisations, I’ve seen a pattern repeat itself.

Companies rush to adopt the newest AI tool…
without understanding where it sits in the broader stack.

Right now, that tool is Generative AI.

But GenAI isn’t the starting point.

It’s just one layer in a much bigger AI capability stack.

Here’s the framework I often use when advising organisations on AI strategy:

Machine Learning → Predict outcomes
Use when you need forecasting, risk scoring, fraud detection or demand planning.

Neural Networks → Recognise patterns
Use when you need image analysis, voice processing, recommendations or anomaly detection.

Generative AI → Create and synthesise
Use when you need content, code, summaries, legal drafting or complex reasoning.

AI Agents → Execute tasks
Use when you want workflows automated across systems and processes.

Agentic AI → Run operations
Use when you need systems that can make decisions autonomously at scale.

Here’s the part most organisations miss.

You build this stack from the bottom up.

During my work leading enterprise data, AI and analytics programmes - from government departments to global legal tech platforms - the organisations that succeeded didn’t start with flashy tools.

They started with foundations:
→ high-quality data
→ predictive capability
→ strong governance
→ clear operational use cases

Skip those steps and AI becomes expensive theatre.

No ML foundation = unreliable predictions
No predictions = blind automation
Blind automation = costly mistakes

The organisations getting real value from AI in 2026 aren’t chasing trends.

They’re building capability.

Layer by layer.
Problem by problem.

The question I always ask leadership teams is simple:

What real business problem are you trying to solve with AI?

Happy Tuesday!
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Arif Iqball

Kion Ahadi

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The Battle

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Kion Ahadi

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kion Ahadi's LinkedIn Performance

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