Kei Ichikawa

Chief Executive Officer @ チャレンジャーベース株式会社／Challenger Base Inc.

About

Founder & CEO of Challenger Base, a Japan-based platform connecting global B2B SaaS companies with top-tier sales talent through community-driven engagement. Through Challengers Academy and The Software Sales School, I build and operate an active community of bilingual and Japan-market-ready sales professionals — from early-career challengers to experienced enterprise AEs. Rather than traditional recruiting, we focus on long-term relationship building, practical learning, and real market exposure, enabling SaaS companies to connect with talent that truly understands Japan’s GTM realities. I work closely with global HQs, VCs, and Japan leaders to support market entry, early GTM setup, and sales hiring, leveraging community insights and hands-on experience. Previously, I was an early enterprise sales hire at Tableau Japan during its market expansion phase, and later at Medallia. MBA, IE Business School. Based in Tokyo.

Country

Japan

City

Greater Tokyo Area

Industry

Staffing & Recruiting

Skill

Enterprise Software, Salesforce.com, SaaS, Business Intelligence, Solution Selling, Partner Management, Management, Pre-sales, Project Management, Cloud Computing, Go-to-market Strategy, Analytics, Demand Generation, Software Industry, Sales Enablement, Software as a Service (SaaS), CRM, Tableau, Business Analytics, Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Experience

Chief Executive Officer

チャレンジャーベース株式会社／Challenger Base Inc.

2022-3 - Present · 4 yrs 7 mos

Tokyo, Japan

Empowering professionals to challenge the status quo alongside global software companies in Japan.

Sales Director

Medallia

2020-3 - 2022-2 · 2 yrs

Tokyo,Japan

Awarded No.1 Top Performer in Japan (All Segments) and Top Seller in APAC SEB Team for FY2021. Joined as the first hire in Japan to spearhead market entry.

Enterprise Sales Territory Manager

Tableau

2017-1 - 2017-11 · 11 mos

Tokyo, Japan

Focused on Enterprise accounts ($500M+ revenue).

Senior Sales Area Manager

Tableau

2016-1 - 2016-12 · 1 yr

FY2016: 111% Achievement. Promoted from Sales Area Manager within 12 months.

Sales Area Manager - Existing Business

Tableau

2015-1 - 2015-12 · 1 yr

Tokyo, Japan

FY2015: 126% Achievement. Awarded APAC Top Sales & President’s Club. Acting Team Lead for a group of 5 reps.

Sales Area Manager - Emerging Market

Tableau

2013-1 - 2014-12 · 2 yrs

FY2013 & FY2014: Consistent Quota Achievement (156% in 2013). Recognized as APAC Top Sales (2013). Joined as the first sales hire in Japan; scaled business from the ground up.

Japan Lead, Inside Sales

Autodesk

2011-7 - 2012-12 · 1 yr 6 mos

Singapore

Achieved a 165% quota performance in 2012, rebounding from 79% in 2011. Led the newly established Japan inside sales team within the APAC regional hub.