Our Team

Our dedicated Spire teams across the globe will go above and beyond to deliver responsible, high quality work that makes a difference to your organisation. With strongly integrated operations all around Asia and beyond, your cross-market and regional projects are managed seamlessly and effectively. At Spire Research and Consulting, we’re invested in you and your business, so you know we’re always here to make a positive impact for you.

Ryosuke (Rio) Funayama

Chief Executive Officer, Spire Group
Executive Officer, Head of Global Business Department,
Yamada Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

Rio is the Chief Executive Officer of Spire Group. He is also the Executive Officer of Yamada Consulting Group, heading the Global Business Department. He has over 15 years’ experience in many areas, ranging from strategy development, organizational reform, market expansion to cross-border M&A transactions and post-merger integration.

Leon Perera

Chairman of the Board, Spire Group
Executive Director, Global Network Capabilities, Yamada Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

Leon Perera is the Chairman of Spire Group. He founded Spire in 2000 and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 2000 to 2021. During his tenure as Spire’s CEO, he oversaw the delivery of over 2,000 projects to over 50 Global Fortune 1000 clients. Having accumulated over 20 years of experience in emerging market research and consulting, Leon is a regular speaker at international conferences and seminars. He is frequently featured as a business commentator in regional print and television media

Jeffrey Bahar

Chief Operating Officer

Jeffrey Bahar is the Chief Operating Officer of Spire Group, overseeing the Spire offices in Indonesia and Malaysia. He brings to Spire an invaluable technical background in engineering and the information technology (IT) industry. He has served with Spire for 21 years.

Japnit Singh

Chief Operating Officer

Japnit Singh is Spire’s Chief Operating Officer overseeing the firm’s Singapore and India offices. He has served with the Spire group for 17 years, having joined as a Consultant in its Singapore office. He brings to Spire his substantial experience in market eco-system analysis, and in particular multi-country market sizing, market entry studies and tracking studies.

Go Sakano

Chief Financial Officer, Spire Group
Managing Director of Singapore branch, Yamada Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

Go Sakano is the Chief Financial Officer of Spire Group and Managing Director of the Singapore Branch of YAMADA Consulting Group. He brings with him more than a decade of experience in management consulting. Go is experienced in business development and skilled in strategic planning and corporate finance.

Dr Justin Hanse Lee

Managing Director (South Korea)

Dr Justin Hanse Lee is the Managing Director of Spire Korea. Dr Lee brings to Spire his experience in leading agro-chemicals, government and market research operations in Korea, and an outstanding academic background in agricultural science.

Adeline Lim

Head of Operations (Singapore)

Adeline joined Spire as Head of Operations in 2022. She has more than 15 years of experience in delivering strategic, market, and competitive intelligence projects to various strategic and financial investors, including Japanese conglomerates, to support their growth across Southeast Asia.

Rajiv Seth

Senior Director (Go-To-Market Practice)

Rajiv Seth is Spire’s Senior Director for Go-To-Market Practices. He brings to Spire the ability to deliver high-quality solutions in the area of Go-To-Market Practice to enable businesses to grow revenue and profitability.

Adnan M Kaddoura

Chairman
Spire Research & Consulting MENA LLC.

Adnan Kaddoura heads the board of SPIRE MENA and is responsible for the company’s strategic growth in the region. He brings five decades of experience in opportunity assessment, business facilitation, strategic planning, corporate restructuring, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures (JVs) and risk management.

Tarek Elhousseiny

Board Member
Spire Research & Consulting MENA LLC.

Tarek Elhousseiny drives Spire MENA’s new business development, strategic planning and thought leadership. He brings with him more than three decades of senior management expertise in financial services and payments.

Aditya Sapru

Board Member & CEO
Spire Research and Consulting MENA LLC

Aditya is the Chief Executive Officer of the newest addition to Spire Group, the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. Aditya brings more than two decades of business advisory and strategy execution expertise. He helps organizations articulate strategic growth opportunities and develops enabling frameworks that drive long term shareholder value creation.

Saurabh Sharma

Country Director (India)

Saurabh is the Country Director for Spire India and manages Spire India’s operations. He has spent over 12 years in market research and consulting and has extensive experience in industries such as ICT, speciality chemicals, logistics, industrial products, life-sciences, commercial insurance, and pharma sector.

Chi Nguyen

Chief Representative (Vietnam)

Based in Hanoi, Chi is the Chief Representative of Spire Vietnam. She brings with her over 20 years of experience spanning various industries, such as retail, consumer products, automotive and telecommunication, in Vietnam. Her experience in sales and marketing across all regions of Vietnam enables her to help clients better understand the country’s market landscape. 

Benjamin Foo

Director, Growth Advisory (Singapore)

Benjamin Foo is Director of Growth Advisory with Spire Singapore. With 33 years in various regional business roles, he brings to Spire his broad and deep multi-industry, geographical and functional experience in helping enterprises in their growth initiatives, both organic and non-organic.

Ryosuke (Rio) Funayama

Chief Executive Officer, Spire Group Executive Officer, Yamada Consulting Group, Japan

Rio is the Chief Executive officer of Spire Group. He is also the Executive Officer of Yamada Consulting Group, heading the Global Business Department. He has over 15 years’ experience in many areas, ranging from strategy development, organizational reform, market expansion to cross-border M&A transactions and post-merger integration.

Leon Perera

Chairman of the Board, Spire Group
Executive Director, Global Network Capabilities, Yamada Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

Leon Perera is the co-founder of the Spire Group and is currently serving as its Chief Executive Officer. In this capacity, he has overseen the delivery of over 2,000 projects to over 50 Global Fortune 1000 clients. Having accumulated 20 years of experience in emerging market research and consulting, Leon is a regular speaker at international conferences and seminars. He is frequently featured as a business commentator in regional print and television media.

Jeffrey Bahar

Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Jeffrey Bahar is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Spire Group, overseeing the Spire offices in Indonesia and Malaysia. He brings to Spire an invaluable technical background in engineering and the information technology (IT) industry. He has served with Spire for 21 years.

Japnit Singh

Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Japnit Singh is Spire’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer overseeing the firm’s Singapore and India offices. He has served with the Spire group for 17 years, having joined as a Consultant in its Singapore office. He brings to Spire his substantial experience in market eco-system analysis, and in particular multi-country market sizing, market entry studies and tracking studies.

Go Sakano

Chief Financial Officer, Spire Group
Managing Director of Singapore branch, Yamada Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

Go Sakano is the Chief Financial Officer of Spire Group and Managing Director of the Singapore Branch of YAMADA Consulting Group. He brings with him more than a decade of experience in management consulting. Go is experienced in business development and skilled in strategic planning and corporate finance.

Dr Justin Hanse Lee

Managing Director (South Korea)

Dr Justin Hanse Lee is the Managing Director of Spire Korea. Dr Lee brings to Spire his experience in leading agro-chemicals, government and market research operations in Korea, and an outstanding academic background in agricultural science.

Adeline Lim

Head of Operations (Singapore)

Adeline joined Spire as Head of Operations in 2022. She has more than 15 years of experience in delivering strategic, market, and competitive intelligence projects to various strategic and financial investors, including Japanese conglomerates, to support their growth across Southeast Asia.

Rajiv Seth

Senior Director (Go-To-Market Practice)

Rajiv Seth is Spire’s Senior Director for Go-To-Market Practices. He brings to Spire the ability to deliver high-quality solutions in the area of Go-To-Market Practice to enable businesses to grow revenue and profitability.

Adnan M Kaddoura

Chairman
Spire Research & Consulting MENA LLC.

Adnan Kaddoura heads the board of SPIRE MENA and is responsible for the company’s strategic growth in the region. He brings five decades of experience in opportunity assessment, business facilitation, strategic planning, corporate restructuring, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures (JVs) and risk management.

Tarek Elhousseiny

Managing Partner & CEO
Spire Research & Consulting MENA LLC.

Tarek Elhousseiny drives Spire MENA’s new business development, strategic planning and thought leadership. He brings with him more than three decades of senior management expertise in financial services and payments, having worked with blue chip corporates like American Express and Visa Inc. At Spire MENA, Tarek.

Aditya Sapru

Board Member & CEO
Spire Research and Consulting MENA LLC

Aditya is the Chief Executive Officer of the newest addition to Spire Group, the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. Aditya brings more than two decades of business advisory and strategy execution expertise. He helps organizations articulate strategic growth opportunities and develops enabling frameworks that drive long term shareholder value creation.

Saurabh Sharma

Country Director (India)

Saurabh is the Country Director for Spire India and manages Spire India’s operations. He has spent over 12 years in market research and consulting and has extensive experience in industries such as ICT, speciality chemicals, logistics, industrial products, life-sciences, commercial insurance, and pharma sector.

Chi Nguyen

Chief Representative (Vietnam)

Based in Hanoi, Chi is the Chief Representative of Spire Vietnam. She brings with her over 20 years of experience spanning various industries, such as retail, consumer products, automotive and telecommunication, in Vietnam. Her experience in sales and marketing across all regions of Vietnam enables her to help clients better understand the country’s market landscape. 

Benjamin Foo

Director, Growth Advisory (Singapore)

Benjamin Foo is Director of Growth Advisory with Spire Singapore. With 33 years in various regional business roles, he brings to Spire his broad and deep multi-industry, geographical and functional experience in helping enterprises in their growth initiatives, both organic and non-organic.