Mana K.
Senior Creative Project Manager & Bridge UX Director
Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Work Authorization
Permit B (Spouse of an EU citizen)
Language
English (Full Proficient) / French (Working) / Japanese (Native)
I am your bridge to Japan.
I help European enterprises land properly and thrive in the Japanese market by translating complex brand identities into culturally optimized digital experiences.
Backed by 20+ years of digital operations and a unique perspective spanning from archived French literary research to the high-end creative environment of Takashi Murakami’s Tokyo studio.
Incoming 42 Piscine swimmer.
Experience
2021 - Present
Freelance / Switzerland
Bridge UX Director & Creative Partner
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What & How: Serve as an on-the-ground strategic partner for European enterprises targeting market entry into Japan, bridging cultural and logistical divides.
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Impact (Why): Spearheaded the end-to-end corporate identity, branding framework, and visual assets for a new Swiss-based Japanese food startup, scaling a product assignment into a full enterprise launch.
2013-2020
General Incorporated Association &
Various Agencies / Japan
Creative Project Manager & Operations Lead
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What & How: Orchestrated multi-channel digital operations, cross-functional stakeholder collaboration, and integrated visual communication strategies.
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Impact (Why): Directed the end-to-end launch of 30+ physical retail stores and led the complete online marketing architecture (SEO, targeted campaigns) for multiple large-scale corporate events.
2011-2013
Digital Content Director & Web Planner
Creative Agencies / Japan
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What & How: Led the end-to-end planning, digital content direction, and information architecture for diverse web properties.
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Impact (Why): Spearheaded visual production and operational frameworks for corporate clients, successfully translating high-level marketing strategies into high-converting digital platform layouts.
2008-2011
Telecommunications Industry / Japan
In-house Creative Project Manager
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What & How: Acted as the core logic-to-design translator and strategic liaison between technical engineering and creative design teams.
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Impact (Why): Streamlined the UX architecture and visual guidelines for in-house digital service platforms, successfully aligning backend logic with commercial marketing objectives.
2006-2008
Various Creative Agencies / Japan
Web Designer & Digital Creator
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Impact (Why): Produced data-driven visual concepts, interactive multi-page web layouts, and high-converting digital advertising collateral for diverse enterprise clients.
Education
2026
Software Engineering Intensive Training / Switzerland
42 Piscine Challenge
Diving into the legendary, ultra-rigorous coding bootcamp to expand my hands-on technical horizon and push the absolute boundaries of my logical problem-solving architecture.
2001-2002
Takashi Murakami’s Tokyo Studio / Japan
Creative Assistant & Aesthetic Exposure
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The Environment: Immersed in the world-class, high-stakes creative environment of Takashi Murakami’s Tokyo studio during my university years.
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The Impact: Developed a highly refined aesthetic sensibility and a sharp eye for visual excellence by observing top-tier global art production and meticulous design discipline from the inside.
1998-2003
BA in French Literature / Japan
Shirayuri University
Authored a thesis on contemporary sociology, critically analyzing the intersection of media and cultural constructs, which is permanently archived in the National Diet Library of Japan.
Core Skills
Figma - Advanced
UI / UX Design - Advanced
Cross-cultural Bridge - Strategic
Digital Marketing - Advanced
Adobe CC - Expert
Project Management - Expert
Market Localization - Strategic
Web Operations - Advanced
Expertise
Cross-Cultural Bridge
Acting as a strategic on-the-ground partner in Switzerland to eliminate time-zone bottlenecks, expertly navigating unspoken Japanese cultural codes and complex stakeholder dynamics to align European business logic with local expectations.
Market Localization
Transforming complex European brand identities into high-performing, culturally optimized digital experiences for the Japanese consumer, blending high-end aesthetic sensibility with proven local conversion strategies.
Strategic Project Direction
Leveraging 20+ years of robust digital leadership in Japan to oversee everything from cross-functional team alignment to precise UI/UX infrastructure execution, ensuring seamless market entry without operational friction.