Risako Suzuki

What ultimately convinced me to join was the people I met throughout the selection process. When I thought of consulting, I imagined an environment that prioritzes rationality above all us, somewhat dry, sharp, and impersonal. Baycurrent challenged that stereotype in the best possible way.

In interviews and discussions, the team took the time to understand my experience and aspirations, and I could genuinely feel their commitment to thinking about how I could best perform and grow. Rather than judging me solely by numbers or my résumé, they engaged with me as a person. Experiencing that human communication gave me confidence that I could keep pushing myself in a supportive environment, while still being committed to delivering results.

It wasn’t just individual excellence that stood out, but a culture where people respect and support one another as they move forward together. That feeling was a major reason I decided to join.

While continuing to deliver strong results as an individual contributor, I aspire to become a leader who accelerates the growth of those around me.

At the same time, as a working parent, I want to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve outcomes and keep moving one’s career forward even with limited time. My goal is to be a role model for younger colleagues by showing them what it looks like to take on challenges while also supporting them when needed and helping expand their opportunities to thrive.

Since taking on mid-career recruiting, the way I view hiring has changed dramatically. I no longer see it as simply bringing in additional headcount, but as a core part of the company’s growth strategy. The people we welcome shape the scope of what we can deliver, the strength of the organization, and even the markets we can expand into next.

That is why I see career hiring as an investment to move the business forward. And what it takes is far more than the ability to screen résumés. The real challenge—and the real appeal—lies in accurately understanding what the business truly needs, calibrating that against the realities of the talent market, and ultimately identifying the person we genuinely need to meet.

One difficulty in career hiring is that taking hiring requirements at face value does not necessarily lead to the right answer. Internal requests often come in the form of keywords—“someone with experience in this domain” or “someone with this skill”—but searching exactly as written can still result in a mismatch with the profile we actually need.

So I start by increasing the resolution: I dig into the business issues behind the request, as well as the projects and domains we aim to win next. From there, I “translate” the requirements into a form that can be realistically connected to the market.

The next level of difficulty is determining where in the market that ideal profile exists. Since we cannot meet the right people by talking about ideals alone, I continuously track talent trends, competitor and client movements, and broader business shifts so I can anticipate “the next hiring needs” before they become urgent. By doing so, even with limited information, I can sharpen the candidate profile and increase the likelihood of finding the right match.

On my days off, I often spend time being active, going to the park with my daughter, shopping, or watching sports.
I’ve also loved cooking since my student days, so I often invite friends over for casual get-togethers and home-cooked meals.