On May 4, 2026, NTU GMBA hosted its first Alumni Sharing Session, welcoming back Masaru Nagatsuka Class of 2024 (R11), now a management consultant at Tanabe Consulting Group in Japan. Held at the GMBA Student Lounge, the event marked an exciting new chapter for the program, and Masaru received a warm welcome from current students eager for his experience and words of wisdom.
 

Masaru opened by reflecting on his most formative experiences in the program. He highlighted the CHT-I Business Proposal Competition and the Family Business Competition as two events that directly shaped his consulting mindset, pushing him to analyze real organizations under pressure. He also pointed to the Strategic Management course as particularly relevant to his day-to-day work, noting that frameworks such as SWOT analysis serve as practical tools for identifying how a business can grow and where a consultant can add the most value.
 

He then turned the audience's attention to the Japanese business landscape, walking through a geographic and demographic breakdown of Japan's prefectures. Masaru explained Japan’s production output and remains a hub of career opportunity. He also shed light on a lesser- known but important statistic: large corporations make up only 0.7 percent of Japanese businesses, meaning the vast majority are small or medium-sized, which is the exact market Tanabe Consulting targets.
 

Masaru then gave an overview of Tanabe Consulting and the nature of his work, emphasizing that the business frameworks he learned at GMBA are not just academic exercises, but tools he applies regularly in real client engagements. His key message was clear, the ability to recall those frameworks and deploy them effectively in real-world situations is what separates a good consultant from a great one.

He closed his prepared remarks with actionable advice for students considering a consulting career before opening the floor to a lively Q&A. Students asked about balancing family life with the demands of consulting work, career opportunities in Japan for international professionals, and more.
 

Masaru also encouraged current students to step outside their comfort zones, build genuine connections with classmates, and stay in touch long after graduation. This was an important reminder to end the first of many more alumni sharing sessions.