Makoto Rheault Kihara
About Makoto Rheault Kihara
Makoto Rheault Kihara is the VP of Growth at Hopper, based in New York, with a background in marketing and user acquisition.
VP Growth at Hopper
Makoto Rheault Kihara currently serves as the VP Growth at Hopper, a leading travel booking app in North America. His role encompasses overseeing a comprehensive Growth team that includes both product and marketing verticals. Stationed in New York, New York, United States, Kihara's leadership is pivotal in driving Hopper's consumer business expansion efforts.
Previous Roles at Hopper
Before becoming VP Growth, Makoto Rheault Kihara held several key positions at Hopper. From 2021 to 2023, he worked as the Head of User Acquisition / Product Growth in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Prior to this, he served as Head Of User Acquisition from 2020 to 2021 and as Senior User Acquisition Manager from 2019 to 2020. In these roles, Kihara significantly contributed to the app's growing consumer base.
Marketing Experience at Cruisehub and Busbud
Before joining Hopper, Makoto Rheault Kihara gained valuable marketing experience at Cruisehub and Busbud. At Cruisehub, he was the Director of Marketing from 2017 to 2018, focusing on modernizing the cruise industry. At Busbud, he initially served as a Marketing Associate from 2016 to 2017 and later took on the role of City Lead, Montreal Ambassador Program in 2016 for 3 months. His efforts at Busbud involved leading search engine marketing operations in 80 countries.
Educational Background
Makoto Rheault Kihara holds a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) degree in International Business from McGill University. Additionally, he pursued an exchange program at HEC Paris, achieving a Grande École credential. Prior to his university studies, he attended Lycée Claudel d'Ottawa, earning a French Baccalaureate with a concentration in sciences.
Early Career and Entrepreneurial Ventures
Makoto Rheault Kihara's early career includes various roles and entrepreneurial ventures. In 2015, he co-founded Movekit and contributed to Plotly as a Blog Contributor. Additionally, he worked as a Marketing Assistant at Imaginary Spaces. These roles allowed him to develop a strong foundation in marketing and content creation, which he later leveraged in his professional career.