Kazunori Fukuda named Managing Director as Sansan expands in Asia

Kazunori Fukuda has been appointed as Managing Director of Sansan's subsidiary in Thailand as part of the company's ongoing expansion across Southeast Asia.

This appointment follows a period of development for Sansan in the region, marked by the establishment of its subsidiary in Singapore, the opening of Sansan Global Development Center in Cebu, Philippines in 2022, and the recent launch of its Thai subsidiary in 2024. Sansan's business-to-business digital transformation solutions, including its flagship Sansan sales DX tool and Bill One invoice management system, are now utilised in 64 countries, with a concentration in Southeast Asia where traditional paper-based business practices are still prevalent.

Fukuda's role as Managing Director of Sansan Global (Thailand) is expected to further advance the presence of both the Sansan and Bill One solutions within the region. He brings significant experience in global service expansion and international subsidiary management, a background honed through his career at Mitsui & Co., where he undertook assignments in Japan, Chile, and the UK across sectors such as housing materials, emissions credits, and oil and natural gas.

He joined Sansan in 2017 and has contributed to the overseas growth of the company's sales DX solution in both Japan and Singapore. Since 2019, Fukuda has also overseen international human resources and corporate operational functions, including local subsidiary management and recruitment. In 2023, he assumed leadership of Sansan's Global Operations Group, which is responsible for digitisation of business cards and invoices. He began his current position in April 2025.

Sansan's expansion strategy in Southeast Asia is closely linked to its Global Development Center in Cebu, Philippines. The Cebu centre plays a critical role in adapting and localising Sansan's digital transformation tools for the varied requirements of Southeast Asian markets. These markets, including Thailand and Singapore, frequently rely on manual, paper-based processes that Sansan aims to digitise through tailored solutions developed in partnership with local talent.

The Philippines' significance within Sansan's regional operations has also attracted attention as international technology firms increasingly invest in the country's tech sector and workforce. The Cebu development hub has become central not only to product innovation but also to supporting the broader regional strategy. Through the Global Operations Group, Filipino professionals contribute to the digitisation work that forms the backbone of Sansan's offerings in business process transformation and cloud-based management.

This approach is part of a larger trend of Japanese companies enhancing their engagement with Southeast Asia, leveraging the diverse strengths and resources available across the ASEAN region. Sansan's investment is indicative of a collaborative model in which development, innovation, and market entry strategies are anchored in partnerships with local talent pools in countries such as the Philippines.

Sansan's suite of solutions includes the Sansan B2B system for corporate digital transformation, the Eight app for business card management among professionals, Bill One for online invoice processing, and the Contract One database for contract management. The company's focus remains on moving enterprise customers from paper-based operations to cloud and data-driven management, with an emphasis on efficiency and process improvement.

Fukuda's appointment as Managing Director in Thailand reinforces the company's intent to expand both its sales DX and invoice management platforms throughout Southeast Asia, while continuing to depend on its operational and development centre in Cebu for tailored localisation and technical support.