Last Chance To Enjoy An OTR This Year- Q4 OTR

Come to one of the networks popular events as we close out the year.  The Q4 OTR gathering of CEOs with be held at Andaz Tokyo’s BeBu Cafe. Get a chance to catch up with other CEOs on the events of 2018, and be inspired for the new year.

As usual, this OTR will be a joint event bringing together of CI member CEOs and other invited c-level friends. You’ll be greeted with a welcome drink courtesy of Andaz Tokyo General Manager and CI member, Mr. Ross Cooper. Then enjoy a evening of discussion, drinks, and great food. Don’t miss this year end chance to catch up with Asia’s Top CEOs.

This is a casual meeting so you just show up and pay for whatever you consume. However, DO respond to the Doodle link so we can give the venue an idea of about how may people will be there.

See you there!

The Venue

Date: 29 Nov 2018 (Thursday)
Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Cost: Whatever you consume
Venue: BeBu on 1F of Andaz Tokyo, 1 Chome-23-4 Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo 105-0001
Tel: +81 3 6830 7739

Located on the ground floor, BeBu Café & Bar specializes in original burgers, Japanese draft beer and seasonal party plans featuring classic and creative international flavors. This casual venue is perfect for lunch, dinner and happy hour drinks.

 

Nov G3 – The Future of the Japan Mega Companies

The Future Of The Japan Mega Companies

Japan pulled itself out of the ashes of a devastating world war to become the worlds second largest economy. This impressive achievement was not just from the hard work and team work of many people, it was also under girded by a number of powerful Japanese corporate groups made up of companies in trading, heavy equipment, real estate, consumer electronics, elevators, finance, and many other areas of business. Recently many foreign firms have come into the Japan market and diluted some of the mega company’s power. However, Japan-based firms still show their financial strength in transactions such as Nikkei’s acquisition of the UK-based Financial Times, and Takeda Pharmaceutical’s active buying of firms around the world.

In the November CEO Insights meeting, we will welcome Mr. Yoshihiko Kawamura, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, General Manager of Investment Strategy Division and Future Investment Division of Hitachi Ltd.  Mr. Kawamura has extensive experiences both in Japan and by representing large firms such as Mitsubishi Corporation and The World Bank in their global business development experiences as well.  He is a Cambridge University-educated economist, while finished AMP at Harvard Business School. 

Join us for this off the record discussion about the future of Japan Mega companies and a good discussion about the constantly moving global market place.

Date: 13 Nov 2018 (Tuesday)
Time: 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Venue: Roppongi Hills Club – La Cucina
51F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku, 106-6151

Nov C28 – Business Over 100 years: The Story Of Coca Cola With A Japan Twist

Japan has the highest density of vending machines worldwide–almost 5 million nationwide.  In fact, there is approximately 1 vending machine per every 23 people in Japan with annual sales total more than $60 billion.  Ever wonder what supply chain supports this massive industry and how a beverage product that hasn’t changed it formula in over 120 years continues to grow ?  Then come hear Edward Walters, the Head of Logistics for Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and 20 year veteran of the Coca-Cola system explain more about this topic and how it is supplied around the world.

Don’t miss this chance to hear from one of our peers and global brand c-level.  We will discuss what it takes to make a brand that will last.

Date: 8 Nov 2018 (Thursday)
Time: 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Venue: Roppongi Hills Club – La Cucina
51F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku, 106-6151

Oct C28 – Buffing Up Your Company- A Successful Acquisition 

The Wall Street Journal is filled with articles talking about one company buying another.  Corporate and private equity executives foresee an acceleration of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in 2018, both in the number of deals and the size of the transactions. However, there are some great case studies bosses can learn from in Japan.
Japan’s largest mobile phone provider, NTT Docomo, acquired Oak Lawn Marketing.  Oak Lawn Marketing, a Nagoya-based marketing firm with it’s contact centers in Nagoya, Tokyo, and Hokkaido was a good match the strategy of the mammoth company moving towards eCommerce.  We’ll hear reflections from the M&A expert Bruce Pomer as well as our own regular member Harry Hill on the deal, how it went down, and the value of buying yourself into a business through acquiring another company.
Date: 11 Oct 2018 (Thursday)
Time: 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Venue: Roppongi Hills Club – La Cucina
51F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku, 106-6151

Oct G3 – “Making Your Company The Greatest Show On Earth”

Having a great place to work is something people are proud of. From entry-level employee to c-level, people tend to stay longer at companies that make them comfortable.  Recently, there are many trends.  Some companies have gone to the open office plan with no private offices.  Others have slimmed down regional offices and put regional headquarters in Singapore or Hong Kong.  Finally some companies have now moved to co-working spaces to increase flexibility, attract young talent and comply with millennials’ expectations.

In the Oct, we will welcome our own Ci Member Mr. Laurent Jacquemin, MD of AXA IM Real Assets for APAC.  He will share his insights on the evolving working environment.  Laurent moved his organization to Japan from Singapore in early 2018.  The meeting will be moderated by Edelman’s Japan boss Mr. Ross Rowbury.

Date: 9 Oct 2018 (Tuesday)
Time: 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Venue: Roppongi Hills Club – La Cucina
51F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku, 106-6151

Sept C28 – Measuring the Market from the CEO Perch

CEO Insights meetings are known for being direct, informative, and applicable. The CI luncheons bring in outside expertise as well as pull in CI network CEO know-how in a safe leadership environment.

In the September CI, everyone will have a chance to participate in a energetic discussion called “Measuring The Market”. Each boss will share briefly on the state of affairs in their industry. Following the Measuring The Market speed updates. The group will select 1-3 CEO challenges from the group and collaborate on solutions to those challenges as a group (as time allows). Areas may cover marketing, financing, warehousing, logistics, resources, or whatever issues may arise.

Many firms pay millions to bring in outside consultants to fix problems or get ideas, this insightful invite will only cost the price of the lunch set before you.

See you there!

Date: 13 September 2018 (Thursday)
Time: 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Venue: Roppongi Hills Club – La Cucina
51F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku, 106-6151

Sept G3 – What Happened to Business Intelligence?

Trust is the fundamental for business in every nation. Japan has been seen as a place of restriction, but also a place of stability.  The Yen continues to be competitive with the Euro and the US Dollar and Japanese companies seem to retain some influence the global economy. Japan is not known for the glaring scandals of the West….but in recent years, has been plagued with a succession of financial accounting fraud cases and exposure of bad business practices. Olympus and Toshiba committed massive accounting fraud. Kobe Steel is under investigation by the police for fraudulent activities. Coincheck, was hacked out of over 500 million dollars before being taken over by Monex. And even an American firm, Lehman Brothers Japan lost $350 million dollars in an elaborate fraud in 2008. 

 
In the August CI lunch, writer for the Times of London, The Los Angeles Times, active member of the International Organisation of Transcontinental Organised Crime and Terrorism, and foreign correspondent for The Daily Beast with 25 years of experience as a reporter in Japan, Joshua (Jake) Adelstein will share with you what really is happening in the back offices of some Japan companies and organizations.  He will update CEOs on:
            • What happened to Teigoku Databank, TSR, and business intelligence in Japan
            • The connections between business intelligence and Japanese scandals
            • Spotting and avoiding a dubious company
Don’t miss this chance to learn about the light and the dark sides of business in Japan.
 
Date: 11 September 2018 (Tuesday)
Time: 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Venue: Roppongi Hills Club – La Cucina
51F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku, 106-6151

2018 Sayonara Summer – BBQ @ Azabu Gardens (SSBBQ)

Life is not just about knowing people, it’s about knowing good people. There’s no beating the quality of CEO Insights members and our guests around a table. As an executive, it can be lonely at the top and CI fills that void. As we close out and say “sayonara” to summer 2018, we want to give an extra opportunity for our CI groups to get to know each other. The evening of September 25th, we will break away from our regular luncheons and OTRs and have arranged a special event.

This evening of strictly food and networking gives members a chance to catch up with fellow CEOs after a relaxing summer break.

For the evening, real estate developer Pembroke welcomes us back for special outdoor barbecue reception at their luxurious Azabu Gardens property’s Rooftop

Terrace. The catering is by Soul Food House in Azabu. Please sign up early as space is limited to the first 25 CEOs to sign up.

CEO Insights – Sayonara Summer Barbecue (SS BBQ)

When: Tuesday, September 25th, 7pm – 9pm.
Where: Azabu Gardens West (Behind Roppongi Hills)
Cost: 9,700 yen / person
RSVP: CI Support Team

*Payments shall be made via credit card (PayPal). Due to booking with the catering, no cancellations after 5pm on 19 Sept (Wednesday).

Special thanks to Azabu Gardens for Hosting this event.

August G3- How Technology & Government Is Changing The Future Of Asia Finance & Accounting

The cloud has really changed the way we communicate in business.  If a CEO wants, they can always be plugged in to their business.  (But not always a good idea if you want to have a family life).  Finance is also seeing upheaval in business due to tech advances with major changes in areas such as Fin-tech, AI, and the cloud.  Management can not continue to see the finance resources of our businesses in the same light.

In the August lunch, finance CEO, CPA, and Japan entrepreneur, Mr. Ichiro Waki will visit CEO Insights to share his insights on where he sees the market going based on the regulatory, technology, and on the experience of running a group of finance businesses.  With his command of the market, Ichiro will discuss

  • When to automate, and when to go with traditional finance practices
  • Common trouble in Japan company finance that can be avoided
  • The future of AI, Fin-tech, automation and other technology on our future businesses
 
Date: 14 August 2018 (Tuesday)
Time: 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Venue: Roppongi Hills Club – La Cucina
51F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku, 106-6151

August C28 – What Happened To Business Intelligence In Japan?

Trust is the fundamental for business in every nation. Japan has been seen as a place of restriction, but also a place of stability.  The Yen continues to be competitive with the Euro and the US Dollar and Japanese companies seem to retain some influence the global economy. Japan is not known for the glaring scandals of the West….but in recent years, has been plagued with a succession of financial accounting fraud cases and exposure of bad business practices. Olympus and Toshiba committed massive accounting fraud. Kobe Steel is under investigation by the police for fraudulent activities. Coincheck, was hacked out of over 500 million dollars before being taken over by Monex. And even an American firm, Lehman Brothers Japan lost $350 million dollars in an elaborate fraud in 2008. 
 
In the August CI lunch, writer for the Times of London, The Los Angeles Times, active member of the International Organisation of Transcontinental Organised Crime and Terrorism, and foreign correspondent for The Daily Beast with 25 years of experience as a reporter in Japan, Joshua (Jake) Adelstein will share with you what really is happening in the back offices of some Japan companies and organizations.  He will update CEOs on:
            • What happened to Teigoku Databank, TSR, and business intelligence in Japan
            • The connections between business intelligence and Japanese scandals
            • Spotting and avoiding a dubious company
Don’t miss this chance to learn about the light and the dark sides of business in Japan.
 
Date: 9 August 2018 (Thursday)
Time: 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Venue: Roppongi Hills Club – Star anis
51F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku, 106-6151