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

Get inspired to live a fulfilling life I CEO and Founder of get inspired

Raphael Buck

Year in a View.
Plan your priorities to live your best year - rather than being lived by another year.

“The way you spend your time 
is the way you live your life.” — Peter Attia

Once a year, I pause to reflect and plan.

I review the past year:  
What were the highlights? What did I learn? 
What should I keep and what should change?

Then I plan the year ahead:  
What experiences do I want? 
What are my professional, 
social, and personal priorities?

I start with my own priorities, align family and 
couple goals with my wife, and coordinate 
shared plans with my business partners.

I use one simple tool: 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄.  
It puts priorities and calendar side by side to:
• See the whole year at a glance
• Ensure priorities actually make it into the calendar
• Enjoy the joy of anticipation 
If you want to use the same form click further below


WHY it matters

Priorities
Planning aligns time with what truly matters, 
not just what feels urgent. (Covey, 2006).

Anticipation
Looking forward to meaningful experiences 
increases happiness. (Kahneman & Deaton, 2010).

Follow-through
What’s in the calendar gets done. (Gollwitzer, 1999).


WHAT to to

1 The Frame 
Mark public and school holidays, fixed commitments.

2 Business Priorities
Define key projects, conferences, off-sites 
block time for what matters.

3 Relationships Memories
Plan couple time, family holidays, 
traditions with parents and siblings.
Create friendship cycles on shared interests

4 Personal Experiences
Create an experience bucket list:
travel, sports, culture, learning.
Prioritize the experience you want to make this year

5 Habits & Challenge: 
Set routines for health, money, learning 
Define one meaningful challenge for the year.


HOW to start

Click on the form, copy and edit it to make it your own.
Year in a view
https://lnkd.in/et8gepvc


FINAL thought  

It’s not about the perfect plan.  It’s about making sure 
your priorities make it into your calendar so 
you live a life you truly want. 

“Fill your life with experiences, not things. 
Have stories to tell, not stuff to show”

Design a life that works for you 🔥
Raphael

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✍️ Subscribe to me newsletter on life design
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Year in a view 

STAY HUNGRY - not to accumulate more, 
but to keep growing and become who you are.

In the business world, you can tell in split seconds 
whether the business partner or supplier is hungry 
to make a deal or is just doing a job.

Similarly, in life, some people just settle and manage 
their life, while others stay hungry, keep exploring, 
and keep growing. You can feel the focus and energy

Staying hungry is often misunderstood as wanting 
to accumulate more, just another word for greed. 
When in reality it is a lust for life, curiosity to create, 
explore, grow to become who you are.


WHY it matters

Agency
Staying hungry strengthens control by focusing 
on future choices, boosting motivation and persistence 
through uncertainty (Bandura, 1997).
 
Growth
Hunger sustains a growth mindset, driving learning, 
skill-building, and progress beyond short-term comfort 
(Dweck, 2006).
 
Resilience 
Hunger reframes challenges as adaptation cues, 
increasing resilience and faster recovery after stress 
or failure (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004).
 

WHAT actions to take

1. Growth Mindset
Adopt a growth mindset: Your identity can evolve, 
you can build skills, and grow. See the world full of 
possibilities and opportunities.
Principle: “Sky is the limit”

2. North Star
Hunger needs a compass. Hunger without direction 
turns into noise. Set your direction.
Clarity on the direction funnels energy. 
Principle: “Direction before speed.”

3. Challenge
Intentionally choose challenges that 
stretch your current limits. Growth happens on 
the other side of challenge
Principle: “Seek productive discomfort.”

4. Curiosity
Stay curious about ideas, people, and change. 
Ask better questions, explore new domains, 
and update assumptions.
Principle: “Curiosity fuels growth.”

5. Pivot
If you sense for a prolonged time that you 
feel settled, that you manage life rather than grow. Pivot.
Principle: “Don’t protect stagnation.”

 
FINAL thought

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” Steve Jobs
Jobs meant resisting comfort and status; 
hunger keeps you experimenting, 
foolish keeps you unafraid of looking wrong.

Design a life that works for you 🔥

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Stay Hungry

Shift Perspective - How to unlock stuck situations and keep moving forward.

In professional, social, or personal life, 
we all get stuck at times. 
Situations can start to feel unsolvable. 
The longer we look at them from the same angle, 
the more evidence we collect for why nothing will work.

Yet the moment you change perspective, 
new solutions often appear.

“If you change the way you look at things, 
the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer

Children do this instinctively. 
When it rains, every puddle becomes an opportunity. 

The ability to shift perspective is a critical life skill. 
It restores movement, expands possibilities, and 
helps us live a more fulfilling life.
 

WHY it matters

Agency  
Reframing increases perceived control and 
self-efficacy, driving persistence and action 
(Albert Bandura, 1997).
 
Emotional Regulation  
Cognitive reappraisal reduces negative emotion 
and stress, strengthening resilience 
(James Gross, 1998).
 
Momentum  
Fresh perspectives separate past failure from future 
action, boosting motivation and follow-through 
(Katy Milkman, 2014).
 

WHAT actions to take

1. Control Perspective  
Shift focus from outcomes to actions. 
Even in constrained situations, you control effort, 
attitude, preparation, and the next step.  
Reframe: “I can’t control the situation, 
but I can control my response.”
 
2. Time Distance Perspective  
Create distance to reduce emotional intensity. 
Many problems feel overwhelming only because 
they are viewed too close.  
Reframe: “This is temporary, even if it feels permanent.”
 
3. Learning Perspective  
Treat challenges as information. 
Every difficulty reveals skills to build, 
boundaries to set, or blind spots to address.  
Reframe: “This is not happening to me, 
but for my development.”
 
4. Opportunity Perspective  
Use constraints to surface new paths. 
Limits often force clarity, innovation, and progress 
that comfort would delay.  
Reframe: “What new path is opening 
because the old one is blocked?”
 
5. “What If It Works” Perspective  
Imagine success. Simulating positive outcomes 
builds courage, creativity, and commitment to act.  
Reframe: “If this works, who do I become 
and what becomes possible?”


FINAL thought

“Perspective doesn’t change reality. 
It changes what you do next 
and that changes everything”

Design a life that works for you 🔥

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Shift Perspective

There is magic in every beginning.  
How to use new beginnings to live the life you truly want.
 
We are at the start of a new year.
A fresh chapter filled with possibilities.
 
The stats on New Year’s resolutions are sobering. 
Around 50% set resolutions.  22% fail in the first week, 
50% within 3 months, and over 80% within two years.  
Most change doesn’t last.
 
But that misses the point.  
It’s not about resolutions.
 
It’s about using new beginnings to create momentum, 
reset identity, and turn starts into sustained progress.
 
 
Why It Matters
 
Agency  
New beginnings restore control by shifting focus 
from past constraints to future choices  (Bandura, 1997).
 
Momentum  
Fresh starts increase motivation by separating 
past failures from future action  (Milkman et al., 2014).
 
Growth  
Beginnings create learning windows where effort 
compounds and identity adapts faster  (Dweck, 2006).
 
 
What To Do
 
1. New You  
A new beginning lets you leave the past behind. 
Ask what your 80-year-old self would focus on.  
You don’t need perfection, just the next version of you.  
Principle: Reset identity deliberately
 
2. Big Vision, Small Goals  
Dream big, but act small. Avoid “don’t” goals.
Set approach goals, what you want to build, become.
Define the smallest action that makes failure impossible.
Principle: Think big, start small
 
3. Habits  
You become what you do often.  
Build enjoyable habits until effort becomes identity.  
Principle: Repeat shapes identity
 
4. Progress  
Happiness comes from progress, not achievement.  
Expect discomfort; growth feels like friction.  
Principle: Progress creates happiness
 
5. Start Now  
Now is the best moment to start.  
Decide before you feel ready and mark the beginning.  
Principle: Action beats readiness
 
 
Final Thought  
Every adventure starts with a first step.
Use this new beginning to evolve and reinvent yourself.
Bring more awe into your life.
The awe of moving toward what you truly want.
 
Design a life that works for you. 🔥

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Raphael

New Beginnings Final

Decide better faster - How to understand the nature of the decision and choose the right frame.

Decision-making is key to any leadership role and a fulfilling life.

I observe too many people, including myself, 
who struggle with decision-making.

They push off decisions, are very slow decision makers, 
or have entire decision-making inertia. 

The emotional, financial, and opportunity costs of a 
lack of decision-making are massive. 
It's like stones that fill your backpack. Try to climb a 
mountain with 20kg of stones in your backpack. 
This is how many of us run around with unmade decisions.

“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, 
than to be able to decide." Napoleon Bonaparte

Key to improve your decision making is understanding 
the nature of the decision and choosing the right frame. 
Make better decisions faster.

 
WHY it matters

Agency
Deciding quickly restores a sense of control, 
shifting focus from constraints to action 
(Bandura, 1997).

Momentum
Fast decisions reduce friction and 
create forward motion
(Milkman et al., 2014).

Performance
Organizations and leaders who decide faster 
in uncertainty outperform peers
(Eisenhardt, 1989).

 
WHAT actions to take

1. One-Way vs Two-Way Door (Jeff Bezos)
Decide fast when reversible, slow when irreversible. 
Best for: leadership, strategy, hiring, product decisions 
Match speed to reversibility

2. Expected Value Thinking (Annie Duke)
Estimate: upside × probability – downside × probability. 
Best for: investments, bets, asymmetric opportunities 
Optimize for asymmetric upside

3. Opportunity Cost (Naval Ravikant)
Every yes is a no to something else. 
Not deciding is still a decision—with a cost.
Best for: time, priorities, career and portfolio choices 
Every yes has a price

4. Second-Order Effects (Ray Dalio)
Look beyond immediate outcomes. 
Second- and third-order effects determine long-term success.
Best for: strategy, systems, organizational decisions  
Think in consequences, not moments

5. Principles (James Clear)
When outcomes are uncertain, anchor to values and identity. 
Best for: life-defining, ethical, cultural decisions  
Optimize for integrity over certainty
 
 
FINAL thought
“When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice.” 
William James

Design a life that works for you 🔥

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taplio

The Battle

Arif Iqball

Raphael Buck

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The Battle

Arif Iqball

Raphael Buck

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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);}Raphael Buck's LinkedIn Performance

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