When: Thursday, October 22th 7pm – 8:30pm
Where: Azabu Gardens (Behind Roppongi Hills: http://www.azabugardens.com/contact/)
Cost: 8,000 yen / person
2015 September C20 – Getting Inspiration From Bricks
Japan is a market that to many foreign companies remains an enigma and where one of the key learnings seems to be that all market segments are saturated and dominated by huge local players. The toy market is not any different and yet a small company from an even smaller country far up in the northernmost part of Europe is trying to swim against the current and prove that even if a market is not growing you can successfully grow a global brand using global tools.
What is the story behind the growth of the LEGO brand in this market and are there any learnings for companies outside the toy business? LEGO Japan’s CEO Steen Lauge Kokkenborg will be answering questions as well as sharing insights, learnings and perspectives from his experience with the LEGO Brand in the Japanese market. Prior to Japan, Steen ran Lego’s successful Korea organization.
After the Sept CI meeting, you will leave the luncheon regretting you ever left your toys on your way to success.
Date– Friday, 11 September 2015 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
2015 August G3 Understanding The Power Of Licensing In Japan
Japan has a constant influx of international brands looking to come to advantage of the market and it’s buying power each year. Of course, importing a product, setting up distribution, and building brand aware all contribute to success in Japan, this is not the only way. Licensing your brand in Japan is another option.
France’s FAUCHON is having considerable success in licensing their brand in Japan. In the Sept CI lunch we will get a chance to hear the strengths of the FAUCHON model that has worked for over 43 years. Why would licensing be an option? What are the pros and cons for choosing the licensing model? How do you pick a good business partner? How do you really negotiate a win-win agreement with that business partner?
In September, FAUCHON’s Japan CEO will present his thoughts on these many areas in the world of licensing that builds your brand.
Date– Tuesday, 8 September 2015 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- Salon (French)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
2015 Sept C8 – Omni Channel Increasing Response In Retailing (Venue Change)
Omni Channel is the new retail catchword. To date, the strategy is perceived as primarily a strategy for retailers to optimize between stores and/or bricks and mortar channels with e-channels, i.e. smart phone or PC commerce. Harry Hill will present a case study with our Shop Japan Wonder Core series to illustrate a vision of Omni Channel which both harmonizes the retail experience while also increasing interest, response and sales into all channels. He will show how Shop Japan incorporate the metrics and discipline from our traditional TV shopping, direct marketing business model into an Omni Channel: a model that integrates big data with response data to increase traffic and conversion in all channels including call, smart phone, PC and retail t win market share in all channels while at the same time dramatically increasing Shop Japan’s brand awareness, customer profile and channel balance as well as improve profitability.
Come enjoy a special CI meeting presented by Harry Hill and moderated by Phil Rubel. Please note that we will NOT be meeting at our usual venue.
Date– Thursday, 10 Sept 2015 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
OAK LAWN MARKETING, INC.
21F Toranomon Hills Mori Tower, 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku Tokyo
Hire A New Grad MBA For Your Organization- Globis University
Are you looking for high quality English speaking MBA graduates who want to work in Japan? Of course you are. Aren’t we all? We have teamed up with GLOBIS University to get some good potential people for you. CI membership has it’s benefits.
GLOBIS University, the largest business school in Japan, will have the students in its one year full-time MBA program graduating this month. Many of the 31 students from 17 different countries are searching for a job opportunity in Japan. All of them are from top universities in their home countries and have three or more years of working experience in mostly top/global companies. Many of them are great candidates for employment, having business understanding, extensive knowledge about their home market, and good understanding about Japanese culture. If you would be interested in seeing their CVs please contact Kenya Yoshino (Mr.) via our contact form. He would be happy to visit you and share the CV book of the graduating students. I know he will be looking forward to hearing from you. When you do contact Yoshino-san please let him know you are a CEO Insights member.
CEO Insights Joint Event- Building Your Dream Company-Global CEO Rob Walters
CEO Insights is an unparalleled gathering of ladies and gents running the businesses of some of the most influential brands in Asia. For many, including c-levels like CI members, building a business for the ground up and seeing it catch on globally is a dream come true. In September, CI will welcome a global CEO whole built his dream and continues to see it expand. In September, we will meet Rob Walters, originally a London-based accountant who built a business that now spans 24 countries with 2,700 employees globally.
In this joint CI meeting, you will be able to hear how a London professional build his dream and continues to expand it. This will be an open discussion around a boardroom style table we’re we will likely discuss
-Going from employee to employer
-Watching out for the growth blockers
-Having the right strategy in the right market
You will also have the opportunity to catch up with other CI members from the other two groups. Please note, this is an invitation-only event with limited space due to the room size. We will accommodate as many people in as possible.
Date– Wednesday, 16 Sept 2015 1230PM-1400PM
Cost– ¥5,900 (Due to venue, for simplicity this event will be invoiced from AINEO)
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
2015 August C8 What Is The Next Generation For Travel?
When video conference systems came out in the 90s, many predicted that business trips would be cut back along with the associated expenses with this new technology in the workplace. It didn’t work out for most companies and executives as well as many in the team still have to travel to global offices. Nothing beats meeting someone in person.
Our guest for August is Shinji Tsukamoto. He is a cofounder of DUFL, a premium travel service that has a large ambition to change the way we travel. The service has launched in the US, and is fast becoming one of the most talked-about startups with introductions given on CNBC, Fox News, and Bloomberg. Shinji’s job is to launch the service all around the world, including Japan, all from scratch. We thought it would be interesting to introduce the service to you and talk about how it might indeed change the way you travel. He’ll also share with you some of the challenges he sees as a startup in Japan, and challenges to launch services outside Japan from Tokyo.
DUFL is a premium travel service- a personal valet that simplifies business travel by shipping, cleaning and storing your business attire. DUFL stores your clothing in your personal DUFL closet, and allows you to virtually ‘pack’ by selecting your clothing items from within the app. Once you’ve scheduled your trip, you’ll travel– bag free, and your freshly cleaned and neatly packed clothing will meet you at your specified destination. When you’re ready to head home, schedule a pick up from the hotel and we’ll clean your clothes and have them waiting in your virtual closet, ready for your next trip!
Get ready for new perspectives on something every boss does nearly every month.
Date– Thursday, 13 August 2015 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- Salon (French)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan
2015 August C20 – Tokyo Office Market Trends- The City Of Endless Construction
Tokyo is a city where construction never stops. The market suffered massively after the Global Economic Crisis, or what the Japanese call the Lehman Shock, but has steadily improved in recent years. Commercial tenants seek ways to have modern office space in attractive locations with greater efficiency. Large developers focus on the long-term viability of their target areas for investment and development. The age and number of office workers present additional constraints.
What are the factors driving the market long term and how will supply and demand interact through 2020? In August we’ll have one of Japan’s leading authorities on real estate, Mr. Jim Fink, of Colliers leading the meeting. He will be sharing about some insights, where the trends are leading, and answering questions that relate to a huge part of the CEO’s budget, the facility costs.
You will leave the luncheon gain insights into the corporate real estate market.
Date– Friday, 14 August 2015 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
2015 August G3 – Is There Really Any Real Cyber Security For My Business?
As Japan is getting ready for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and the current high tension with China and Korea, cyber security has become a key focal point for both the government (with JPS as a recent example of the current weaknesses that exist) and for the private sector. Another complicating factor is the convergence of physical and cyber security issues, shown most prevalently by a couple of recent attacks:
Target, a large US based retail organization, had up to 70M customer credit cards and other PPI stolen after being hacked via their building’s HVAC system.
A small team recently took over a Jeep that was traveling 70 mph (or about 110 kph) on the highway via its 3G mobile connection, and Range Rover is doing a recall of many of their vehicles due to their door and ignition system being easily hacked.
The emergence of IoT, especially in control systems for manufacturing, health care services, etc., presents a huge new set of opportunities for hackers to exploit and either gain control of various functions or bridge into the enterprise network.
In the August CI meeting, Mr. Phillip Morris, CTO for British Telecom (BT) Japan, will speak to us about BT’s experiences protecting the London 2012 Olympic Games. He will also share on where cyber security and risk management is going over the next few years.
BT is a global telecommunications company with a heavy focus on the financial services, manufacturing, health care/life sciences and CPG sectors. BT is renowned for their managed security services, protecting not only the Olympic Games, but also high profile organizations such as NATO Summits, large UK ministries, and global banks.
Date– Tuesday, 11 August 2015 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
Japanese Art And The Chief Executive
The July CI Reception on 15 July was a nice change of pace. With 40 plus company CEOs usually gathered together at these meetings, the ideas and discussions abound. As a contrast the group was smaller and the reception was a decidedly different flavor. Just before the summer months where people begin traveling, Japan-based top CEOs got together for a light meal and drinks. The event was well attended and hosted by Pembroke Real Estate Japan at their new wing of the Azabu Gardens luxury apartments property.
Spencer Wolfe opened the meeting and set the tone for the event. He briefly introduced Pembroke’s Jun Saito to talk about their property where the event was held. The meeting immediately kicked off with food service, provided by Japan’s well known Italian restaurant Elios. After some food and drink, Tok Yamauchi of Kyoto’s Gallery Shinbunkaku explained several pieces of art that he had brought to exhibit to the group. He had panels from the 1800s, glassware, tapestries from the early 1900s, and scrolls. Attendees learned a lot about Japanese art. One such fact includes that Japanese Art had been commissioned by wealthy landowners and merchants similar to what happened in Europe, with art made to the patron’s specifications. We also learned how Japanese art is designed to be changed seasonally, and not left up all year round.
The CI reception was an excellent event giving members a chance to learn more about Japanese creativity and history while connecting with other bosses in various fields. The food and networking continued late into the evening, giving people a good chance to get to know each other, their businesses, and various Japanese and global connections.