2016 March G3 – Understanding the Trust Barometer

The Edelman Trust Barometer, the world’s largest survey of trust in institutions conducted in 28 countries shows that only 40% of Japanese employees trust the company they work for. This is somewhat counter intuitive given the image of the self-sacrificing, all for the company image that is held about Japans salarymen. Ross will address this and other issues including what is behind the Trump phenomenon and rising populism in the world’s advanced economies.

September’s CEO Insights meeting will welcome Edelman’s Japan boss, Mr. Ross Rowbury. Ross has been living and working in Japan for 35 years. Originally working in finance, Ross moved to the public relations industry some twenty years ago. Over that period he has been advising executives from both Japanese and non-Japanese companies on communications strategy and implementation.

Date– Tuesday, 15 March 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

2016 Feb G3- The Business of Managing Middle Management

Middle Managers are the glue that connects the bottom with the top.  Executives rely on Middle Management to cascade their messages to the front line.  However, do they actually do a good job of this or are they information hoarders and not sharing it with those below?

They are also expected to be conduits pushing valuable ideas and insights from the front line upward to the senior leaders.  The innovation capacity of companies often relies on those closest to the customer. Invariably many great ideas potentially emanating from the front line are never tapped, because there was not the environment to do so.  That environment creation is the responsibility of the Middle Managers.

Middle Managers will play an even more important role in the future, as the supply of young workers dwindles and a ferocious war for talent consumes us all.  The inability of Middle Management to retain the young will have a direct negative cost on the bottom line of our businesses.  Replacing and covering for the departing young has many costs – recruitment, disruption, opportunities, team motivation etc.

In this month’s CI Luncheon, Dale Carnegie’s Japan President and CI member CEO, Greg Story will be leading the discussion on “The Business Of Managing Middle Management”.  Come join us as we talk about developing a companies most important asset, it’s team.
Date– Tuesday, 16 January 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

2016 Feb C8- How Great Leaders Think

The difference between good and great may vary with individual opinions.  However, there is no doubt that great businesses are built by exceptional leadership.  What does being a great leader mean to the CEO ?  Have you ever worked with someone who inspired you and was your role model?

Philippe Grall has been coaching CEOs and other executives in various industries. In all cases, he faces the same issues: lack of team spirit and communication problems. In most situations, managers put pressure on their teams and are obsessed with controlling them.  In addition, the managers focus on what’s wrong with the team and the weaknesses that need improving. As a result, team members have a low motivation and can’t really enjoy what they do. The effect is that people tend to protect themselves and are afraid to propose ideas and take risks.

Great leaders are still a minority. They think and behave very differently with their teams compared to the majority of leaders.

At this month’s CI lunch, you will learn and experience how great leaders think, feel and act. You will leave with some new insights and methods that you will be able to implement from the next day and start to be the leader you would want to work for.

Date– Thursday, 18 February 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

 

Philippe’s Background:

After six years of experience at Autobacs Seven Co. Ltd. in Tokyo, and helping the firm go international, Philippe Grall set up équilibre k.k. in 2006. équilibre k.k. is a coaching company for leaders.  Following his passion to support executives to become inspirational leaders, Philippe uses his unique coaching approach to help them develop their personal leadership.

Corporate leaders working with équilibre k.k. have found inspiration. This inspiration has shifted their motivation from personal ambitions to finding their mission and ultimately having a tremendous positive influence on their organizations.  Philippe has coached more than 100 premium brand Top-Executives and now is a well-recognized executive leadership coach in Japan.

2016 Feb C20 – Risk Management and Why it Really (Really) Matters

For the business professional, the basics of “buy low, sell high” is a fundamental of how every company trades worldwide.  However, selling a car as a car dealer has different trading requirements than the business of fulfilling a prescription as the pharmacist.  Every profession has the similar standard business practice foundation, but also has varying requirements within their business.  With the increase in government regulatory requirements, legal changes, natural and man-made disasters, and a global environment, and many other dynamic variables, the world is changing.  Companies must be more aware of the risks of doing business.

 

Insurance is a business all about understanding risk and managing those risks.  In this month’s CI lunch, CEOs will have a chance to hear about risk management.  Specifically risk management from the insurance business directly from AIG Japan KK’s CEO, Mr. Robert L. Noddin.  He’ll be sharing on Risk Management and Why it Really (Really) matters.  We will be discussing real business issues and examples such as

  • Potted history of insurance risk management in Japan: Keiretsu to Case Agents to ….something new?
  • Case study: Thai floods and the Great Eastern Earthquake in Japan – a surprising comparison of claims paid
  • Japan: Significant premium pool; Worryingly low commercial coverage relative to insurable interests
  • What does a sophisticated risk management structure look like?

 

 

Date– Friday, 12 February 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

2016 Jan C8 – Business Secrets And Privacy – Recent developments in Japan and in the world

The first full revision of the Japanese privacy law should have been adopted in 2015 but the June leak at the Japan Pension Service aborted the whole process. The law should have another chance this year.

In 2015, a EU court struck down the safe harbor rule that had governed data transfers between the US and Japan for 15 years. The EU is preparing for a complete overhaul of its privacy legislation in 2017. The Japanese METI has also been active on data transfers. The Japanese law on business secrets has also been amended recently.

All these issues will particularly affect international businesses, those that sell in Japan while handling customer data on servers located in the US or the EU for instance. In the January CI C8 meeting, Jean-Denis Marx, a partner with Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) will share his insights on the latest in privacy and how it could affect your business.

Date– Thursday, 14 January 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- Proteus
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
 Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan 

2016 Jan C20 The World Of Gaisho

With the influx of more and more international tourists, there are more people thinking they understand Japan, it’s culture, and it’s way of doing business.  However, there are many areas that people cannot see.  Not just the locals, but even the long term international residents.

In the January CI meeting, Ecco’s Japan CEO will introduce us to the Japanese world of the Gaisho.  What is the Gaisho?  Gaisho are the high end clientele of Japan.   Gaisho clientele are invisible to the average person, but they are a very high spending, pampered customer for many of Japan’s famous retail outlets.  Specifically, they are very engaged by department stores.  Their existence is not just a important market, but reveals things about Japan that the c-level must understand.

Date– Friday, 15 January 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

2016 Jan G3 -How Japan Sees Finance & Banking And How It Affects Your Business

Global financial firms have had mixed results in Asia.  Specifically, they’ve been in Japan for some time but had varying levels of success.  There are some American credit card businesses that have their second largest global market outside of the US in Japan.  Japan is a crown jewel.  There are other banks that have failed miserably because they couldn’t get a handle on how to manage themselves or work with Japan’s regulatory bodies.

In the 2016 kick off of CEO Insights G3, we’ll be diving right into the topic that is likely very guarded, money.  Specifically we’ll be talking how Japan sees Western, as well as other Asian, banking and finance.  We’ll be welcome guest expert Yoshio Kitazawa.

Mr. Kitazawa spent 28 years in banking as the head of a major American bank.  Following that time, he served as Senior Advisor to the IBA (International Bankers Association of Japan) working with the BOJ, the PM’s cabinet, and several other non-governmental bodies in Japan.  He founded his own company in 2005 called BCP Corporation selling cloud-based business continuity systems.  You will leave very enlightened on Japan and finance, from a local perspective.

Date– Tuesday, 12 January 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- La Cucina Restaurant (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

2016 Calendar For C8 Group

We’re expecting another fantastic year for CEO Insights in 2016.  Please see the draft schedule for the C8 group.  C8 is the original group with the longest standing member CEOs, originally limited to 8 bosses.  Although there is little variance, occasionally times, locations, dates may  change.  Please watch this website for most recent posts.  You can find the draft schedule here.

CEO Insights 2016 Schedule C8

**CEO Insights meetings are an invitation only event for qualified c-levels (unless otherwise stated).

2016 Calendar For CI Group C20

We’re expecting another fantastic year for CEO Insights in 2016.  Please see the draft schedule for the C20 group.  Although there is little variance, occasionally times, locations, dates may  change.  Please watch this website for most recent posts.  You can find the draft schedule here.

CEO Insights 2016 Schedule C20

**CEO Insights meetings are an invitation only event for qualified c-levels (unless otherwise stated).

2016 Calendar For CI Group 3 (G3)

We’re expecting another fantastic year for CEO Insights in 2016.  Please see the draft schedule for Group 3.  Although there is little variance, times, locations, dates may possibly change.  Please watch this website for most recent posts.  You can find the draft schedule here.

CEO Insights 2016 Schedule G3

**CEO Insights meetings are an invitation only event for qualified c-levels (unless otherwise stated).