Feb 2010 CEO Luncheon- Extract Value From Consultants: How to Hire, Control, and Fire Them

Gordon Parchthold and Jenny Gordon of Extract Value From Consultants:  How to Hire, Control, and Fire Them will lead topic for the CEO lunch on Feb 26.
The authors say about the shortly to be released book “It is applicable to any company that spends more than $50,000 on consultants. We are confident that as an executive reads the book, they will discover many principles that would allow their company to realized benefits that in aggregate will total in the thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the extent that consulting services are used. Given we are coming out of the recession (which typically results in greater use of consultants) and the fact that the selection and management of consultants tends to be highly decentralized across a company, there will be three sources of potential benefits:
·         The increase in business benefits derived from the use of consultants through more effective selection, management and control of them;
·         The reduction of consulting fees and expenses from not only being better equipped for negotiations but also through more effective structuring of consultant vs. company resources; and
·         The transfer of knowledge and capabilities to company personnel by using them more effectively in projects involving consultants.

As usual, this will be a very interactive CEO lunch with special thanks to Jon Sparks for arranging the speakers.

Friday, 26 Feb. 2010

12PM-1330PM

Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
Venue information here

2010 Opening CEO- Managing A Merger

We will open 2010 with our first CEO luncheon on January 22.

Jeff Bernier, Managing Director for Delta Airlines based in Japan, running AP, will be our guest sharing some insights of things to be thinking about as an executive running a business that is merging with another. Although, a merger seems to be only a change of logos, there are many things that you need to be aware of. Things to consider are : staffing, technology, cultures, strategies, processes, labor, expenses, Japanese taxation, finances, legal and revenue implications from a regional and global perspective .

We are pleased to have Jeff as our guest and look forward to another insightful meeting at CEO.

The restaurant is the usual Italian venue called LaCucina,  under the reservation of Mr. Phil Rubel.

See you there!

Friday, 22 January 2010

12PM-1330PM

Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
Venue information here

December 2009- CEO Roundtable

In the close of 2009, the CEO Luncheon has had one of its most productive years ever.  We have been meeting for 5 years and have seen incredible growth both in knowledge and the quality of the meetings.

The December meeting is the CEO luncheon in its purity.  A discussion among business leaders in Japan and a chance to learn from other peers.

Please think about and bring a question that you would like answered by the power of the group and the experience.  Questions could be something such as-

1) I am planning to move office, what is the most important thing to watch out for?  2) I have a trouble employee, what is the best way to terminate employment of someone in Japan?  3) I want to get my new manager quickly accepted by his team.  What can I do to expedite that?  4) What are some obvious ways to cut expenses?  5) What are some common mistakes of the ‘gaijin boss’ in Japan?

Bring your question, but also be ready to answer questions as well.  That is the beauty of CEOL.

We will close the meeting with a quick brain-storm on topics and venues for 2010.

Please note the restaurant is the Italian this month.  Under the reservation of Mr. Phil Rubel.

See you there!

Friday, 18 December 2009

12PM-1330PM

Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
Venue information here

November 2009- Corporate Websites: Ten Dos and Don’ts

What should you do with your company website?  Does it have much on an impact on your business.  You bet it does!

People not only look up companies, but they search on the names of executives as well.   But do you really need to have a company Facebook page, a Twitter account or a CEO blog? What matters and what doesn’t? What things should we keep in mind as we manage the online presence of our corporate websites?

This month’s meeting discussion will opened by Oliver Reichtenstein (profile here) and followed with an open discussion. Oliver has web experience and can give some great insights on the web on not only business, but our lives.  He is a well-known blogger and design consultant with considerable expertise in redesigns of newspapers.  The Ten Dos and Don’ts for websites will be a good chance to get thinking about what works for your business and your website, whether you are running online profit centers or not.

Please note the restaurant is the Italian this month.  Under the reservation of Mr. Phil Rubel.

See you there!

Friday, 20 November 2009

12PM-1330PM

Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
Venue information here

October 2009- Corporate Security, Securing Your Business

Corporate Security can take the form of many practices.  Physical access to company facilities, handling of company documentation, computer management, and even possibly managing and being prepared for potential disgruntled workers.  Is it necessary to the Japanese privacy mark,  an ISO rating or some other certification?  What about day to day operations?

At the October Chief Executive luncheon, we will be discussing how, we as management, can secure our assets both intellectual an physical.  This topic was a hot topic when discussed in 2006 and continued for a second month.  We will focus and try to get as much out of it in this month.

Also, please note the restaurant is the Chinese (not Italian) this month.  Under the reservation of Mr. Rubel.

See you there!

Friday, 30 October May

12PM-1330PM

Roppongi Hills Club- Star Anise Restaurant (Chinese)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
Venue information here

September 2009 Corporate Real Estate

The Global Financial Crisis has had a profound impact on all firms and subsequently senior management here in Japan. One of the consequences is a heightened focus on cost containment in an environment where revenue in many cases is down and less predictable.  Real estate is one of the highest fixed costs that we all face in our business but corporate real estate decisions also affect other things including staff hiring and retention. The current real estate markets offer opportunities to proactively seek ways to support the business and drive cost savings through to the bottom line.


The September CEO Lunch will give us the opportunity to hear from our own Todd Olson. Todd has been in the real estate business in Japan for 18 years and is the Managing Director of Cushman & Wakefield Japan. His experiences also extends outside of Japan to other parts of Asia Pacific and the U.S.  Todd will lead a discussion on the current market and opportunities for corporations in today’s market making for an interesting and timely discussion.


Bring your questions and be ready for another good discussion on real estate.

The meeting and venue are slotted for

Friday, 18 September

12PM-1330PM

Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
Venue information here

August 2009- Retailing In Japan

Topic –  Retailing In Japan

In August, we will be joined by a special guest from Coach.  Mr. Fernando Gueler runs the Retail side for Coach Japan.  He has over 20 years of experience in Japan and will share some of the trends and recent changes in retail in Japan.  Although, Mr. Gueler’s main business concern is brand and fashion, there will be many insights that you can glean from his experience with the Japanese consumer and client.

The meeting and venue are slotted for

Friday, 28 August

12PM-1330PM

Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
Venue information here

July 2009- Effective Negotiating Tactics

Topic –  Effective Negotiating Tactics

Being a good negotiator is a great skill for married Chief Executives.  In the company negotiation is essential for dealing with

-Employees

-Management Teams

-Foreign headquartered bosses

July’s CEO Luncheon will be a chance to find out from your peers in other industries on how best to work with others.  CEOs do not have the same level of baloney that spews out of three branches of US government.  However, knowing how to negotiate can enhance your career as well as eliminate a lot of unnecessary stress in your corporation.

Friday, 24 July

12PM-1330PM

Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
Venue information here

June 2009- Using Japanese Law and Tax Loopholes To An Advantage

Topic –  Using Japanese Law and Tax Loopholes To An Advantage

With the US government moving towards socialism and control in business, a trumpet is sounding that business executives have to be aware of the laws and government where they operate.  In this case, the laws of Japan.  The June CEO Luncheon will discuss how to wisely operate a business under Japanese law.  We will also discuss the various loopholes a CEO needs to be aware of in the area of taxation.

Friday, 26 June

12PM-1330PM

Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
Venue information here