VP, Financial Communications

About this role

OVERVIEW

Weber Shandwick is one of the world’s leading global communications and marketing solutions firms with offices in 79 cities and a network extending to 120 cities on 6 continents. In the Asia Pacific region, the firm operates in 18 markets including owned as well as affiliates and representative firms in other locales – spanning Greater China, Japan and Korea, India and Southeast Asia. Our heritage in Asia Pacific stretches back more than 60 years.

In our financial communications work, we advise public and private companies across industries on strategic and capital markets communications efforts that best position them among relevant stakeholders. Our engagements span the normal-course financial lifecycle (e.g., quarterly earnings, proxy statements) and transformative events (e.g., M&A/post-merger integration, IPO, litigation, bankruptcy, activism, executive management transitions, labor issues). We collaborate closely in these engagements with both the C-suite and key IR/PR personnel.

About the Opportunity:

We are seeking a senior-level financial communications professional to join our growing global Financial Communications and Capital Markets practice, based in Tokyo. This is a high-impact role advising Japanese and multinational clients on complex corporate events and strategic issues including mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, restructurings, executive transitions, spin-offs, litigation, sustainability matters, regulatory developments, and investor relations.

This role is ideal for a seasoned practitioner with extensive experience in financial communications, issues management, and corporate reputation strategy—someone who thrives in high-stakes environments and can translate complex financial and regulatory information into clear, compelling narratives for stakeholders in Japan and globally.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead/support a range of financial communications and special situations, including M&A, shareholder activism, defense against short-sellers, bankruptcies, initial public offerings, series financing, as well as earnings support and other ongoing investor relations activities

• Serve as a senior advisor to clients in Japan on a range of financial communications and capital markets matters

• Support clients in articulating a differentiated investment story that resonates with global and domestic investors, regulators, and the media

• Draft and review investor-facing materials such as earnings releases, IR presentations, Q&A documents, press releases, and executive speeches

• Drive proactive and reactive media relations, leveraging relationships with top-tier Japanese and international financial media

• Collaborate closely with other Weber Shandwick teams/offices and external partners such as legal counsel, IR firms, accounting advisors, on financial comms assignments

Strategic Leadership

• Manage the day-to-day relationships between internal teams and clients, ensuring high-quality and timely delivery of all communications materials

• Support thought leadership activities that better position Weber Advisory for capital markets and financial comms work

• Hire, mentor and develop junior team members and contribute to a collaborative team culture

• Ensure profitability of individual accounts, and sustained growth of the Financial Communications and Capital Markets business

• Participate in business development efforts and help grow the firm's presence in Japan and the broader APAC region

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

• 8+ years of relevant experience in financial communications, investor relations, strategic consulting, corporate affairs, or equity research

• Deep knowledge of Japan’s capital markets, financial reporting, disclosure regulations (e.g. TSE rules, FSA guidelines), and corporate governance practices

• Strong understanding of institutional and retail investor dynamics in Japan and across APAC

• Proven ability to advise C-suite executives and senior leadership during transformational events and sensitive situations

• Exceptional writing, storytelling, and messaging skills in native Japanese; English language proficiency is a strong advantage

• Thrives under pressure and can handle multiple projects in a demanding, deadline-oriented environment, while maintaining meticulous attention to detail

• Strong media relations experience with a track record of managing top-tier financial media

• Demonstrated proficiency with AI-powered tools transforming the PR industry, including content generation platforms, media monitoring systems, and data analytics tools. Highly organized, self-motivated, and detail-oriented, with excellent time management and project leadership skills

• Comfortable working in cross-cultural, cross-functional teams across time zones

• Demonstrated ability to lead, inspire, and grow high-performing teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with financial database such as Bloomberg, S&P Cap IQ, FactSet, Refinitiv, as well as…