VISION
“Nurturing ability to think possible futures at frontline of business”
MISSION
Futureness Ltd is a consulting firm focused on scenario planning. We support clients’ utilization of scenario planning, depending on clients’ needs. Scenario planning helps us to be better-prepared toward unpredictable future, by developing equally plausible future scenarios and extending our current views to the world.
We do not need to think about our future by ourselves, if we make decisions based on others’ forecasts or official future visions by authorities. But many clients at frontline of business fields had experienced that such forecasts or official future visions did not come true. It is becoming riskier to depend on forecasts in the VUCA era than in the past.
Scenario planning is not forecasts or predictions. It is not betting our future on given forecasts or official visions. It is about crystalizing collective intelligence into possible scenarios through open-minded discussion about future business environment, and making decision as a company in front of equally plausible future scenarios. That is scenario planning.
We support our clients to be better-prepared for uncertain future, by designing and facilitating opportunities for clients to discuss possible future by their selves.
OUTLINE
| Company name | Futureness Ltd |
| Location | Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Services | Consulting, education and training on scenario planning |
| Representative | Masaki Kihara |
| Established in | 4th December 2019 |
| Japan Tax Agency corporate number | 9020001133986 |
GREETING
Use of scenario planning in the private sector dated back to a half century ago, when Shell, the international energy company, applied it into practice. I got to know the scenario planning in deep when I attended a training by Professor Masahiro Kakuwa, who is a pioneer of scenario planning in Japan, in 2013. Then, I fortunately had an opportunity to work at the Shell Scenarios team in the UK, and after coming back to Japan, have kept working for various scenario-type projects with learnings at Shell and supports from Professor Kakuwa.
Techniques and practices of scenario planning have been developed by honorable scenario planners in the past. I believe that developing and succeeding them to future generations is important for our society. That is why I set up this company in 2019. I would like to support clients’ strategic conversations by fully utilizing my skills and expertise on scenario planning.
When I left the UK where I worked as an only one Japanese in the team, the leader of the Shell Scenarios team encouraged me by siting two Japanese proverbs; “the frog in the well doesn’t know the ocean” and “if you don’t enter the tiger’s cave, you will not catch its cub.” Exploring unfamiliar future is a challenge not only for our clients but also for us. Though such challenges, I would like to extend our views toward future with our clients.
Masaki Kihara
Scenario Planner & Representative
Profile
・Master of Environmental Studies, Frontier Science, University of Tokyo
・MBA, Tias School for Business and Society
・Graduated from Oxford Scenarios Programme
Worked as Scenario Analyst at the Shell Scenarios team, which is the pioneer of scenario planning in private sector. Supported scenario-based strategic management at Japanese companies, involving management and leaders. Established Futureness Ltd in 2019 to support broad clients’ scenario planning.
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