Michael Takagawa

Michael's 40-year career is defined by leadership firsts. He broke barriers as an Asian-American executive, rising to company president in Fortune 500 companies at a time when few role models existed. He then founded one of the first executive coaching firms, building a 20+ person team specializing in C-suite success. As Founder and CEO of Corporate Edge, Michael advises first-time CEOs who have gone on to achieve significant success. His unique systems approach to executive coaching facilitates smooth leadership transitions and C-suite succession for clients including Kaiser Permanente, Adobe, Genentech, and Korn/Ferry, across diverse industries and high-growth ventures. Michael recently launched the Asian Leadership Center, a division of Corporate Edge dedicated to empowering AAPI executives. This initiative draws upon his own pioneering experiences and a hand-picked team of coaches who understand the nuances of Asian executive success, helping leaders achieve their full potential while honoring their cultural values. In 2021, Michael was honored to be selected as a Fellow for Stanford University’s Distinguished Careers Institute (DCI) and is now teaching at the Stanford Graduate School of Business - his alma mater, by joining the teaching team for 'Leadership Demystified' - its longest-running class on executive leadership. He also mentors younger generation leaders, women's leadership, and conducts public speaking programs at Stanford. A Bay Area native, Michael enjoys attending professional sporting events and traveling to London to visit his two young grandkids.