Ren McMahon

Background

About Ren McMahon

Operator (JP/EN) who scales founder-led businesses, while building ventures at the intersection of art × education × finance. I started in the art world installing exhibitions, negotiating placements with museums, and building relationships with artists, collectors, and art connoisseurs. In the gallery world I learned two things that still guide me: how to tell a clear story, and how to build trust across different cultures. A few years later, family asked for help with a small English school in Tokyo. I said yes for six months…and never left. We rebuilt the school piece by piece by enhancing the entire sales funnel, digitally transforming our operations (incl. moving everything onto CRM, e-sign, and card rails), and improving student learning experiences. Today the business serves over 1,200 students and generates ~¥1.0bn revenue at ~20% EBITDA with a small, but effective team. We are also extremely proud of our students who "over-achieve" attaining their goals of being accepted to top universities (Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, etc.) the world over. I am currently an Oxford Saïd EMBA candidate, which helps me ground boardroom decisions with pragmatic frameworks and financials. As we explore a majority recap, this experience is helping me prepare the transition to CEO. In parallel, I am building Enso, turning under-used wall space in offices, hotels, and clinics into curated micro-exhibitions that give artists visibility and real revenue.*DM if you have wall space or want a pilot! Open to: Operating Partner / Portfolio Ops / Value Creation (PE) work and CEO/COO roles in sponsor-backed companies (Japan first; Singapore/London/US open).