Ayako Sugaya

Ayako Sugaya, PCC, currently serves as the Director of People at Tanglin Trust School since March 2022 and is a Co-Founder and Founding Partner at Takumi Associates LLP, which focuses on Coaching and HR practices for international schools in Asia. Prior experience includes consulting for UWC South East Asia and holding the position of Director of Human Resources, overseeing a large student and employee base across two campuses. Ayako's extensive background in human resources includes a noteworthy tenure at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where roles spanned from Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Singapore and South East Asia to managing HR operations for the Japan region. Early career experience includes marketing and recruitment roles at Merrill Lynch and BNP Paribas. Ayako holds an Accredited Coach Training Programme certification and a Bachelor's degree from Sophia University.