Based in Japan

I run industrial projects in Japan — and build the tools my teams actually use.

15 years running complex delivery across industrial, automotive, and technology companies — Air Liquide, Mitsubishi Fuso, JGC, Nokia. When a process is broken, I don't write a report about it. I build the fix. Six of them are live below.

Book 30 min → See my work Download CV ↓
Career & education Air Liquide · Mitsubishi Fuso · JGC · Nokia · Kyoto University · Waseda University
Impact at Air Liquide Japan
¥8M
Cost-out savings per project per year (up to) via Lean Six Sigma initiatives
15%
Man-hours saved through standardized, automated workflows
10→0%
Recurring reporting errors eliminated through error-proofed inputs
46
Professional recommendations on LinkedIn
About
Engineering roots.
Management discipline.
AI conviction.

I started as an instrumentation and controls engineer on power and petrochemical plants, and spent a decade learning what actually breaks projects: not technology — handovers, approvals, and information nobody can see. That path ran from EPC delivery in Pakistan and the Middle East, through a refinery project at JGC in Yokohama, to project management and PMO leadership at Air Liquide Japan.

Somewhere along the way I stopped waiting for IT to build the tools my teams needed and started building them myself. I'm not a software engineer — I'm a project manager who treats AI as a power tool. I lead digital transformation and continuous improvement at Air Liquide while designing tools for decision support, field safety, and process improvement on the side.

Every tool on this site started with a real problem someone on my team had that week — not a technology looking for a use case.

Good project management is about people first, tools second — I build the tools so the people can do their best work.
Education
MBA — Kyoto University MA IR — Waseda University B.Sc. Engineering
Certifications
PMP LSSBB PSM-I PSPO-I CompTIA Project+ C-IMP Green Belt GCP Gen AI Leader
Languages
English — Fluent Japanese — Conversational Urdu, Punjabi & Hindi — Native
Journey
From engineering to the edge of AI
I wish I could tell you there was a plan. There wasn't. Looking back, the only consistent strategy was moving toward people smarter than I was — and it still is: keep finding rooms where I'm the least qualified person in them.
2023 → Present
Project & Program Manager · Lead AI Champion · C-IMP Leader
Air Liquide Japan — Tokyo
Leading domestic project PMO, digital transformation, and continuous improvement. Built the PMO operating mechanism (see case study below) and cost-out initiatives saving up to ¥8M per project per year. ALJ Star Employee and AI Champion (top 5%).
2021 → 2023
MA International Relations — Governance & Policy
Waseda University (GSAPS) — Tokyo
MEXT scholar; graduated with distinction. Policy training that now anchors my AI governance work — contributed to CAIDP's Annual AI Policy Report covering democratic values and AI governance across 80+ countries.
2019 → 2021
MBA in Project Management
Kyoto University (GSM) — Kyoto
Full merit scholarship; graduated with distinction. Won JETRO Startup Business Visa Award. Represented Kyoto University as the only team from Japan at a European international negotiation competition.
2010 → 2022
Engineer → Project Lead → Launch Readiness
Nokia · Descon · JGC (Yokohama) · Mitsubishi Fuso (Kawasaki)
From I&C engineering on EPC power and energy projects (up to USD 80M) to a refinery project at JGC and launch readiness for an EV truck line at Mitsubishi Fuso. The operational foundation for everything that followed.
Projects
Tools I've built
Each of these started as a real problem on a real project — something my team needed but couldn't buy. Five for project work, one for daily life in Japan. All bilingual (EN/JP), all open-source, all live.
Project Management
Earned Value Analysis Dashboard
PMs who need CPI/SPI and forecasts usually need a Primavera license or an analyst. This runs full PMBOK earned-value analysis in the browser — no login, data never leaves your machine — and exports a management-ready PDF.
EVA PMBOK Offline PDF
Process Improvement
Periodic Table of Process Tools
Improvement projects stall because nobody remembers which of 100+ Lean / Six Sigma tools fits the moment. Filter by DMAIC phase, pick a tool, get an AI-generated action plan — built for teams, not consultants.
Lean Six Sigma DMAIC Gemini AI
AI Strategy
AI Agent Designer & Guide
Business teams want AI agents but can't translate a use case into an architecture. Describe the job to be done; get a reference design and starter plan — written for operators, not developers.
Agentic AI Architecture Interactive
Operational Safety
Heatstroke Risk Checker
Japan's MHLW rules require WBGT-based heat risk assessment, but the lookup lives in PDFs nobody opens on site. This gives field supervisors a compliant go/no-go on a phone in ten seconds.
WBGT MHLW Safety
Construction Risk
Concrete Pour Weather Window
A bad pour decision costs days and money. This evaluates the next 48 hours of local forecast against ACI/JIS thresholds and tells you when you can pour — and when you shouldn't.
ACI JIS Weather API
Daily Life in Japan
AI Restaurant Finder
Finding halal and allergy-safe dining in Japan is genuinely hard. AI-summarized reviews plus location data — built for my own family first, then shared.
Halal Dietary AI
Case Study
How I work, not just what I built
Tools show capability. This shows method — one real PMO engagement, end to end.
Making projects visible: building a PMO operating mechanism at a global industrial gas company in Tokyo
A newly formed delivery team, 12+ parallel projects, and monthly reviews that opened with "which numbers are correct?" instead of "what do we decide?" How a lightweight operating mechanism — standardization first, automation second, dashboards last — halved reporting effort, eliminated recurring correction cycles, and earned the ALJ Stars Award.
Read the case study → 4 min
~50%
Reduction in administrative reporting effort
10→0%
Recurring monthly correction issues eliminated
12+
Parallel projects under one operating cadence
Recognition
Selected highlights
Moments that reflect the work and the impact, not just the titles.
⭐
ALJ Star Employee
Air Liquide Japan
Recognized for PMO Digital Transformation & Standardization project delivering measurable business results in efficiency and process optimization.
🤖
Lead AI Champion (Top 5%)
Air Liquide — AI Acceleration Program
"Builder"-level champion creating real AI use cases — advanced prompts, workflows, and scripts. Personally contributed to raising the entity's high-usage rate from 28% to 55%, training 400+ colleagues.
🔭
Perplexity AI Business Fellowship
Perplexity — First Cohort, 2025
Selected for the inaugural cohort of a fellowship for professionals leading innovation at the intersection of AI and business strategy.
📘
CAIDP — Distinction
Center for AI & Digital Policy
Completed the AI Policy Clinic with Distinction and contributed to the global AI and Democratic Values Index — covering AI governance across 80+ countries.
🧭
PM Center of Excellence — Core Team
Air Liquide Group
Trusted at Group level to shape PM standards beyond Japan — led the workstream designing and governing the global PM Recognition Program.
🏆
JETRO Startup Business Visa Award
Japan External Trade Organization
Won special award at international business pitch competition during MBA at Kyoto University.
Published: Inclusive Development & Growth Metrics for G20 & OECD Countries · Corporate Human Rights Due-diligence: National Action Plan analysis under the UN Guiding Principles
What people say
46 professionals have endorsed my work
Selected endorsements from managers, professors, and colleagues across 15 years.
Manager
Haissam is an exceptional professional with a remarkable ability to deliver high-quality work consistently. His dedication, attention to detail, and innovative approach have significantly contributed to the success of our projects. He possesses strong analytical skills and is adept at problem-solving, making him a valuable asset to any team.
Daisuke Inuzuka
Director, Head of Project Execution Department, Air Liquide
HoD / Manager at Air Liquide Japan
Mentor
I have taught many students at Kyoto University Graduate School of Business, but Mr. Haissam Khan is definitely one of the best business students. Mr. Khan was very open-minded with new knowledge and was very flexible to apply it in his analysis on real business cases. He contributed to class discussions with his practical insights based on his broad knowledge and experience.
Yoshitaka Yamada
Partner, PwC & Visiting Professor, Kyoto University
Professor at Kyoto University
Peer
Haissamとは京大起業部インターナショナル(KUIEC)を通じて出会い、京都府と共催した「ジャパンハッカソン」の運営チームのメンバーとして、共にプロジェクトに取り組みました。彼は時間を厳守し、問題解決能力が高く、また他のチームメンバーへの協力も惜しまない好人物です。例えば、他のメンバーの担当部分で人材が不足し、予定よりも進捗状況が遅れ始めているようなとき、彼はチームメイトへの協力を惜しみませんでした。さらに問題が起こったときも、自らのネットワークや才能を駆使して、積極的に解決へと取り組んでくれました。加えて運営チームは、日本人だけでなく世界各国からの多国籍メンバーでしたが、彼のユーモアセンスやアイデアは、英語を母語としないメンバーたちの間で緊張や焦りが出たときに、とても役に立ちました。そのため、私は仕事を一緒にする人物として、彼を心から推薦したいと思います。
Kana (Kanako) Akagi
Entrepreneur & Director, Kyoto Overseas Business Center
Co-Board Member KUIEC & Co-Orgnizer Japan Hackathon
Mentor
I observed a sense of responsibility and leadership in all his assignments and group work as a sincere, focused and team-oriented individual. His consciousness of self-development was evident from all his queries to learn more. Haissam has a strong potential to add value to both his profession and society.
Masato Abe
Economist, United Nations Secretariat & Visiting Professor, Waseda University
Professor at Waseda University
View all 46 recommendations → All sourced from LinkedIn
Contact
Let's talk.

Open to conversations about project management, AI adoption, process improvement, collaboration, or career opportunities in Japan.

Schedule
Book a 30-min chat
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/haissam
Email
engr.haissam@msn.com
GitHub
github.com/khanhaissam
CV
Download CV (PDF)