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■ Why QERA
■ Why QERA
QERA exists to support leaders navigating a new phase of technological transformation
one where AI, quantum technologies, and advanced systems no longer act as tools alone, but as forces reshaping institutions, authority, and value itself.
Many organizations struggle not because they lack technology, but because existing decision frameworks fail under uncertainty:
governance becomes reactive, accountability diffuses, and value creation narrows to what is easiest to optimize.
QERA helps organizations step back from short-term adoption pressure and reframe strategy at a system level—asking what should be optimized, what must be protected, and how long-term legitimacy can be designed into transformation.
Our work sits at the intersection of technology, governance, and societal impact, translating frontier developments into decisions that are resilient, responsible, and actionable.
■ What Makes QERA Unique
■ What Makes QERA Unique
1. Question-led Strategy
We start by challenging assumptions and revealing the hidden systems that shape decisions, value, and future outcomes. This creates clarity impossible to reach with traditional consulting approaches.
2. Frontier Tech × Governance × Societal Foresight
QERA combines deep insight in AI, quantum, and emerging technologies with governance, risk, and socio-technical understanding, a cross-domain perspective no conventional firm offers.
3. Future-first, not present-optimized
Instead of optimizing today’s structures,
we design strategy from the vantage point of future societies, institutions, and value systems.
4. Rare hybrid expertise
Physics research → strategy consulting → policy/governance → value design
This unique integration enables QERA to interpret complex transitions and guide leaders with confidence.
5. Value-centered decision frameworks
We help organizations move beyond efficiency or compliance,
toward creating new forms of value that matter for industries, society, and human life.
■ Founder bio
■ Founder bio
Mari Sekino, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO, QERA
Mari Sekino is a strategist and advisor working at the intersection of AI, quantum technologies, governance, and socio-technical systems.
With a background in theoretical physics, she brings a complex-systems lens to strategic decision-making—focusing not only on how technologies evolve, but on how they reshape institutions, authority, and value creation.
Before founding QERA, Mari spent over a decade in global strategy and innovation advisory roles, supporting executive teams across automotive, manufacturing, digital finance, investment, and R&D-intensive sectors. Her work has included cross-industry transformation programs, platform and ecosystem strategy, governance and risk framing for emerging technologies, and executive-level advisory during periods of structural change.
Today, through QERA, she works globally with organizations seeking to navigate technological inflection points responsibly, supporting strategy design, governance readiness, ecosystem development, and leadership alignment under uncertainty.
Mari also contributes to international discussions on AI and quantum governance, socio-technical risk, and future value frameworks through speaking engagements, research collaborations, and public thought leadership.
She believes the most impactful innovation is legitimate, resilient, and meaningful for the societies being shaped.
Nominated for Reuters Trailblazing Women 2026.
LinkedIn & Substack link
■ Experiences
■ Experiences
□ Professional Experience
Founder & CEO, QERA (Singapore / Japan, 2025–present) Building a global consulting and thought leadership platform focusing on AI, Quantum, and value-driven innovation.
Associate Partner, IBM Strategy Consulting (Tokyo, Japan)
Led multi-country projects on technology strategy, ecosystem design, and digital transformation for global clients in automotive, electronics, and financial industries.
Senior Manager, PwC (Tokyo, Japan)
Developed market-entry and DX strategies for global corporations, integrating data-driven business design and ESG perspectives.
Partner-level Strategy Leadership (Startup Consulting Firm)
Directed consulting teams across manufacturing, retail, and financial industries.
Contributed to the company’s growth and IPO readiness by building new consulting capabilities in digital transformation and ecosystem innovation.
□ Academic Background
Ph.D. in Physics (Quantum Theory)
Publications in Physical Review B (Editor’s suggestion) and related journals
Researcher in Tohoku Univ and the Advanced Science Research Center.
□ Selected past collaborations (examples)
Honda, YAMAHA, SCREEN, DAIKIN, HITACHI, Mitsubishi, TOPPAN, SHIMIZU, 7-Eleven, Banks
■ Achievement
■ Achievement
Financial Services & FinTech
Financial Services & FinTech
Digital Payment Expansion (ASEAN / Africa) — Designed business strategy for digital payment ecosystems, enabling inclusion and scalability in emerging markets.
AI-driven Financial Innovation — Introduced AI-based risk and performance frameworks to enhance portfolio decision-making and operational resilience.
Sustainability-linked Finance — Built ESG integration models for financial institutions to evaluate and report non-financial performance alongside profitability.
Cross-border FinTech Partnerships — Facilitated collaborations between banks, startups, and regulators to co-create next-generation financial services.
Electronics & Healthcare
Electronics & Healthcare
New Business Design — Defined growth opportunities in digital health and preventive care for a major electronics manufacturer.
Customer Experience (CX) Reinvention — Led a data-driven redesign of customer engagement and service models, combining product design, analytics, and digital channels.
AI Adoption Roadmap — Created a multi-phase AI strategy for product development, from proof of concept to organization-wide execution.
Automotive & Manufacturing
Automotive & Manufacturing
Technology Vision & Ecosystem Strategy — Defined long-term technology and data strategies for global automotive and electronics manufacturers, aligning AI, cloud, and product innovation roadmaps.
Smart Manufacturing Transformation — Led multi-year digital transformation programs to modernize factory operations and supply chains, driving measurable efficiency and revenue growth.
EV Shift & Connected Mobility /Designed UX — Designed EV and connected-service strategies integrating business models, user experience, and data architecture across global markets.
Next-generation Supply Chain Blueprint — Developed end-to-end DX frameworks linking production, logistics, and sales through real-time data platforms.
Cross-industry Ecosystem &ESG
Cross-industry Ecosystem &ESG
Platform Strategy Design — Advised on cross-industry platform development combining mobility, healthcare, and finance data ecosystems.
ESG new business concept design for 2050 — Concept designed resource related new business
IPO Readiness & Growth Acceleration — Contributed to the growth and listing of a consulting firm by establishing new digital strategy service lines.
Leadership Enablement — Facilitated executive workshops and foresight programs to help leaders navigate disruption with clarity and purpose.
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