#Japan #Tokyo #Smartsheet #Takeshi Osawa #AI Work Management

Smartsheet Japan Welcomes Takeshi Osawa as New CEO

In a significant move towards boosting its presence in the rapidly evolving Japanese market, Smartsheet Inc., a U.S.-based provider of enterprise AI work management platforms, has announced the appointment of Takeshi Osawa as the new President and CEO of Smartsheet Japan. With over 25 years of extensive experience in the enterprise technology sector, having held senior positions at renowned companies like Autodesk, SAP Fieldglass, and Cloudera, Osawa is set to lead Smartsheet's operations in Japan from their headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo.

The announcement comes as Smartsheet looks to escalate its commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, a key area for growth and investment. Since the inception of its Sydney office in 2020, followed by the Tokyo office in 2023, and the launch of additional offices in Singapore and India this year, Smartsheet has rapidly scaled its operations to meet the increasing customer demand.

Driving Smartsheet's Growth in Japan

Osawa is poised to steer all facets of Smartsheet's business in Japan, including sales, marketing, solution engineering, customer success, and partner operations. His role will be crucial in expediting the adoption of Smartsheet within Japanese companies, enhancing relationships with customers and partners alike, and amplifying the company's presence in the Japanese market.

Throughout his career, Osawa has held leadership positions critical to cultivating high-growth businesses and creating new market categories. He has been instrumental in aiding organizations in harnessing cloud, data, and AI technologies to foster transformative change. With a robust network and strong relationships with business executives, Osawa has driven organizational transformation to enhance growth and operational efficiency.

Rajeev Singh, Smartsheet's CEO, commented, "Many organizations in Japan are seeking ways to enhance their business processes using AI. Smartsheet is committed to helping them connect their goals to actionable outcomes through visibility, governance, and shared situational awareness. Japan is a critical market in our global growth strategy, and we are increasing our long-term investment in Japanese teams, customers, and partners. Osawa, with his rich leadership experience and profound understanding of the Japanese market, is the ideal leader to drive the next phase of growth for our business in Japan."

Osawa's Vision for Smartsheet Japan

In his new role, Osawa expressed his honor in joining Smartsheet at such a critical moment for Japanese businesses. He strongly aligns with the company's approach, stating, "We aim to connect the systems and processes that Japanese companies have invested in securely, providing visibility, governance, and real-time insights across the organization. In an era where AI implementation is accelerating, businesses need to connect AI not just to its introduction, but to actionable business outcomes. Our goal is to become a committed long-term business partner, supporting our customers' achievements beyond just delivering products. Together with our customers and partners, I aspire for Smartsheet to become an indispensable platform that underpins transformation and growth for Japanese enterprises."

Accelerating AI Adoption in Japan's Growing Market

Since establishing its Japan office in 2023, Smartsheet has provided services to over 400 domestic clients, including notable names like Konoike Transport, Obayashi Corporation, and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune law firm. The Japanese division has experienced an impressive growth rate of around 400%. Demand has remained strong across various sectors, particularly manufacturing, telecommunications, and finance. As organizations increasingly seek AI-powered solutions to enhance visibility, governance, and execution, Smartsheet has continued to invest in local talent, customer success resources, platform localization, and strategic partnerships to better support Japanese clients.

In March 2026, Smartsheet launched its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. This innovative solution enables seamless connections between real-time Smartsheet data and AI tools such as Claude, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and Google Cloud Gemini Enterprise, empowering teams to leverage organizational intelligence through AI assistants. Since its launch, the number of Japanese customers adopting the MCP server has surged by over 300%.

Scott Torrey, Smartsheet's Chief Revenue Officer, emphasized, "Japan stands out as one of the fastest-growing markets, and Osawa's joining underscores our serious investment in Japan. Our clients here feel pressed to modernize their operations without completely replacing existing systems. Osawa's firsthand understanding of the Japanese market dynamics will be pivotal in deepening our customer relationships and accelerating our current robust growth."

About Smartsheet

Smartsheet integrates people, data, and AI to transform strategies into measurable business outcomes. It stands apart as the only platform built to bridge gaps between systems and facilitate seamless collaborations without replacing the multitude of existing tools. By ensuring security and connectivity, it provides centralized visibility across multiple systems and enables "organizational intelligence" to function effectively.

For more details, visit Smartsheet Japan.