Open Source, New Open Roads: Getting to Know Gen Watanabe’s Vision for SUSE Japan’s Accelerated Growth

We’re pleased to share that Gen Watanabe joins SUSE as country leader for SUSE Japan. Gen officially stepped into this pivotal role in May 2025, and we recently sat down with him to chat about his vision, journey, and what excites him most about leading the dynamic SUSE business in Japan. 

Q: Gen, congratulations on your new appointment – the APAC team is excited to be working with you. Can you tell us a bit about your roles and responsibilities  as Country Leader for SUSE Japan?

Gen: Thanks! I’m excited to be here. My main goal is to drive SUSE’s commercial business and innovation credentials across the Japanese market. Japan has been a tech industry leader for many decades. The challenge and opportunity we see ahead is how to help customers continue this growth by using open source technology to unlock potential, and ensure they always have choice. I’ll be leading initiatives to help our customers innovate and modernize, from their data centers all the way to the cloud, the edge, and increasingly, with AI. All while continuing to strengthen our partner ecosystem and open source community, which is essential for success. 

Q: You’ve had an impressive career journey before joining SUSE. Can you walk us through some of your previous experiences?

Gen: Absolutely. Before coming to SUSE, I was the Country Manager at Talend, where I focused a lot on cloud data integration and data integrity. It was rewarding to help so many companies utilize reliable data quickly and evolve into truly data-driven organizations.

Before Talend, I spent almost two decades at Microsoft. A highlight was designing and driving the cloud business transformation for major conglomerates like Softbank Group, which gave insight into how large scale enterprises work in Japan and the challenges (and opportunities) of legacy tech modernisation. In my tenure, I also received a Worldwide Top Sales Award, which was a great recognition.

Q: So what drew you specifically to the open source world, and specifically SUSE, now?

Gen: For me, it’s about the potential of open source. I truly believe Japan can unleash its infinite potential to continue leading in the technological field. Open source is a massive enabler for innovation. SUSE is at the forefront of new developments in enterprise Linux, Kubernetes management, edge solutions, and AI infrastructure due to our close involvement with enterprises of all sizes, and the open source community. It’s a great opportunity to help Japanese companies embrace agility, and freedom to adapt quickly, in today’s rapidly changing landscape. 

Q: Looking ahead, what’s one thing you’re particularly excited about for SUSE in Japan under your leadership?

Gen: I’m most excited about accelerating our customers’ innovation. The pace of technology is astounding. I see opportunities to help customers drive their bottom line, increase resiliency, and protect essential services. Open source allows for a speed of innovation that proprietary solutions often can’t match. I’m eager to work closely with our partners and customers to help them leverage SUSE’s technologies to solve their biggest challenges, whether it’s building out their cloud strategy, securing their edge environments, or integrating AI into their operations. 

Q: And maybe on a more personal note, what does a day in the life of Gen usually look like?

Gen: Well, when I’m not focused on technology and business, you’ll probably find me on the golf course. It’s a great way to enjoy some time outdoors and to connect with fellow players as well. 

Connect with Gen on LinkedIn or reach out to the SUSE Japan team for a conversation.