Hajime Haj Matsukata

About Hajime Haj Matsukata

For the past decade, I’ve worked at the intersection of global technology companies and the Japanese market, helping organizations translate strategy into execution across cultures, teams, and business environments. At Udemy, I’ve been involved in building and scaling the company’s Japan business since its early expansion, working closely with our long-term partner Benesse. My role has evolved from launching localized products and partnerships to leading cross-functional initiatives that align product strategy, market needs, and operational execution between Japan and global teams. Much of my work sits in the space between organizations and disciplines—connecting product, business, and partnerships while navigating the cultural nuances of JP–US collaboration. I work with stakeholders across product, engineering, legal, finance, and external partners to bring new initiatives to market and ensure they work in both global and local contexts. I’m particularly interested in the “connecting the dots” work that often determines whether international initiatives succeed: aligning incentives, translating market signals into product decisions, and helping teams move from strategy to execution. More broadly, I enjoy working on projects that involve cross-cultural collaboration, market expansion, and building bridges between organizations and ideas.Outside of work, I’m also involved in mentoring international students and young professionals navigating careers between Japan and the U.S.

Experience

1. Director, Product and Business Operations, New Ventures

   Udemy

   Oct 2021 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   Lead product operations and strategic initiatives for Udemy’s Japan business in partnership with Benesse, one of Udemy’s largest international markets. Serve as the operational bridge between global product teams and the Japan market to ensure successful product launches, localization and commercialization- Drive cross-functional initiatives across Product, Engineering, Legal, Finance and Marketing to support new product launches and platform initiatives- Represent the voice of the Japan market in global roadmap discussions through regular product reviews and strategic alignment with product leadership- Lead multi-SKU initiatives across Udemy Business and Marketplace, coordinating Japan-specific requirements with global teams- Manage executive-level alignment between Udemy and Benesse leadership, including partnership operations, financial coordination and strategic planning- Support development of new learning initiatives and partnerships with major enterprises and ecosystem partners in Japan- Oversee market insights, data requests and reporting to inform product decisions and strategic initiatives- Coordinate release readiness, localization, QA and operational support for global product launches impacting the Japan market.

Education

• University of San Francisco School of Management

  MBA, Entrepreneurship, Marketing

  2009 — 2011

• University of California, Berkeley

  Chief Operating Officer Program

• Boston College

  BA, Computer Science, General Education (Minor)

  1994 — 1998