Recruit Holdings is proud to share that Ayano "Sena" Senaha, Director, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer, has been named to Fortune's Most Powerful Women Asia 2025 list.

This honor celebrates 100 leading women who are transforming business across Asia's major financial, consumer, and technology centers. Sena's inclusion reflects her extraordinary impact on both Recruit Holdings and the future of work globally.

Recruit Holdings Director, Executive Vice President and COO Ayano “Sena” Senaha

From Japan to the World: Building a Global HR Technology Leader

For over a decade, Sena has played a key role in Recruit Holdings’ transformation from a domestic Japanese company into a global HR technology leader. In 2014, she took the helm of a newly acquired staffing company in London and revitalized its financial performance within two years. In 2018, as a key member of Indeed's leadership team, she was instrumental in enabling the governance framework to balance business autonomy with strategic alignment—a structure that has proven essential in enabling rapid, decentralized global growth.

By 2020, Sena was appointed Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Directors, becoming the youngest female director among Nikkei 225 companies. In 2024, she led a major restructuring of Recruit Group’s governance structure, laying the foundation for long-term adaptability and growth. And in 2025, she was appointed Chief People Officer at Indeed.

In pursuit of business results, Sena has advanced Recruit's mission to improve access to work for all. Under her leadership, Recruit Group has helped 11.8 million job seekers facing barriers secure employment through inclusive, skills-first hiring practices.

The Power of Betting on Passion

As Recruit Group has evolved and grown its global footprint, one principle has remained constant: the driving force behind value creation is people. The company believes that maximizing the curiosity and passion of its employees and empowering them to ‘bet on passion’ will lead to the creation of products and services that wow the world. Everything Recruit has accomplished stems from curious individuals asking, "Why is this way of doing things so inconvenient?" and "What if we made this possible?"

Sena's professional journey exemplifies this philosophy. Having benefited from leaders who took a chance on her potential, Sena now strives to create those same opportunities for others. She believes that the best thing leadership can do is create space for employees to pursue their curiosity and explore their passions.

"We know they will learn by making mistakes, so we must encourage them to swing even if they miss the first time," Sena has said.

Governance for Innovation and Speed

Sena applies this principle to governance and organizational design as well. She often describes the company’s approach as “offensive governance,” a proactive model that strengthens accountability without slowing execution.

“In today’s era of AI-driven transformation, sometimes you need to push forward at full speed,” Sena has noted. “Offensive governance allows us to draw the right lines without stifling bold moves.”

This approach has positioned Recruit to adapt quickly, scale responsibly, and sustain long-term growth. In recognition of these efforts, Recruit Holdings received the Grand Prize Company Award at the Corporate Governance of the Year® 2024. Extending this governance mindset, Sena has championed increasing board independence and helps to shape responsible technology use as a member of Japan's AI Governance Association.

This recognition from Fortune comes alongside Sena's inclusion on Staffing Industry Analyst's Global Power 150 for the fifth consecutive year.

Championing The Path Ahead

Sena remains deeply committed to the work ahead.

With a clear focus on harnessing Recruit’s expansive reach, scale, insights, and cutting-edge AI technology, Sena remains dedicated to delivering greater value to both job seekers and employers. At the same time, she continues to be passionate about creating new pathways for her colleagues to grow, thrive, and achieve their own success–driving meaningful business outcomes and fostering a culture of opportunity.

Ayano “Sena” Senaha

Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.

Ayano "Sena" Senaha is Director, Executive Vice President in charge of Corporate Communications Division, Human Resources / General Affairs Division, Risk Management Division, Group Governance in the Corporate Planning Division and COO. She has played a major role in the rapid globalization of the Company, leading and contributing to a series of post-merger integrations.

Six years after joining the Company, she was transferred to a newly acquired staffing company in London in 2012. She skillfully turned around its financial performance after being appointed Managing Director in 2014. She became Chief of Staff at Indeed, Senior Vice President in 2018, and Director in 2020. She is credited with aiding the development of a corporate governance structure that neutralizes risks while enabling quick decision-making.