Online advertising surpassed print advertising in volume in 2012. According to a study released in 2012 by eMarketer, online advertising was expected to generate $39.5 billion in sales that year — a 23.3% increase from 2011 — compared to $33.8 billion on print. However, like anything humans do, it’s hard to break old habits. Fast forward to 2017, there are still some newspapers with help wanted adverts and magazines advertising luxury brands. How effective is that? The model for raising your brand awareness and your important influence on the market has changed. CEOs must be aware of what media, whether it be social, online, or print, can have on their brand.

How can we manage our brands with our team members? How do we increase the exposure for the brands that our teams sell and support? What can we do for the future of our brand and new product ideas? How do we harness the power of the new Millennial work force coming into our ranks? In the May CEO Insights, we will discuss effective ways to manage our corporate brands in this new era of media for our teams, distributors, and most importantly our clients.

Date–Tuesday , 9 May
1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Italian Restaurant- La Cucina
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

Many CEOs have extensive legal experience, however as the representative of a major business it is not easy to know everything. Knowing how things work legally in advance can save a lot of pain later on. In the May CI lunch, we will have a Legal Round Robin. There will be no slide decks. CI welcomes Mr. David Case, a partner with Orrick Tokyo Law Offices as our guest. We have prepared a list of topics and questions to spur the conversation but this is your chance to ask ANYTHING legal. The meeting will follow the flow of the group, however initial areas planned may include

People- Hiring & Firing
Data Protection
Mergers & Acquisitions
eCommerce
Corporate Liability
Digital Currencies
Agreements
Protections

Don’t miss this chance to catch up with one of CI’s favorite legal professionals and compare notes with your CEO peers.

Date– Thursday, 11 May 2017 1230PM-1400PM
Venue
Roppongi Hills Club- Proteus
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

For decades, Japan has been the land of low interest rates, and with the advent of Abenomics interest rates have gone from low to zero and even into negative territory. Taking a loan has never been so cheap, yet Japanese citizens and companies continue to hesitate to borrow and invest. Citizens in Japan are sitting on huge and increasing savings, more than half of which lay idle in cash deposits bearing no interest. The government wants to change the country from a savings mindset to an investing mindset to ensure better future prospects for all, and has engaged various measures towards that goal. But encouraging people to take more risk is one thing; protecting the public from overly risky or unscrupulous investments is another. This makes changing the savings to investment transition even more challenging. Enter the revived concept of Fiduciary Duty, Japan-style, which requires our banks and financial intermediaries to implement measures protecting their clients and investors.

In the May CI meeting, experienced banker and financial boss Mr. Laurent Depus leads the discussion on what is going on inside the consumer market, the banking industry, and government. Mr. Depus is the Managing Director of French financial house Natixis’ Japan business and a long term resident of Japan. He also serves on the board of a Japanese financial industry leading firm.

Come join us for insights on what our bankers sell us in Japan, and how!

Date– Wednesday, 10 May 2017 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

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 April CI lunch we will get a chance to hear the strengths of the FAUCHON model that has worked for over 45 years. They work in food, drinks, clothing, and bags to name a few.  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 April, FAUCHON’s Japan CEO Mr Philippe Jardin, will present his thoughts on these many areas in the world of licensing that builds your brand. 

Date–Wed  12 April 2017

1230PM-1400PM

Venue–

Roppongi Hills Club- Italian Restaurant- La Cucina

51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,

6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,

Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

As a CEO of a Japanese, MNC, or regional firm we are responsible for many resources.  We have people, facilities, business development, marketing, warehousing, and a myriad of other company ‘assets’ to manage, maximize and grow.  Although human resources seem to be a frequent theme at CEO Insights, there is another area that heavily impacts our output: finances and taxes. CEO are not only responsible for corporate finances but also need to be wise with our personal finances as we live in multiple countries, travel frequently, and have many organizations wanting to get into our wallets.  Individual income rate go up to 55.9%.    Income and asset reporting duties have become more onerous.  Tax liabilities abound.  Bright CEOs must understand both corporate and individual implications.

Challenges in corporate tax risk management and compliance hit the c-level on the company side with constant change and ever evolving tax changes.  In the April please join us for lunch with Hans-Peter Musahl, a partner with EY Tax in Tokyo. Mr. Musahl has hands on experience in advising people on how to use their financial toolbox.  He advises executives and business in mostly Japan and Europe.

Date– Thursday, 11 April 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

Many people think of Henry Ford when we think of automobiles and their invention.  However, self propelled vehicles have been around in various forms since the 1800s.  We saw steam, electric, and petroleum powered vehicles.  Various electric cars concepts have been around, yet without breaking the monopoly of fossil fuel powered engines. Combustion based engines have dominated and networks of dealers as well as services has been around them.  Things have finally started to change.

Tesla came to market with high-performance battery based vehicles and has not only challenged the automotive dealer models but also gotten into the core software architecture as well as energy infrastructure area.  In this month’s CEO Insights join us as we hear from Tesla’s VP of North & SE Asia.  We welcome Mr. Nicolas Villeger who will share his insights on how Tesla is completely changing the way people think about automobile purchase and ownership.  Mr. Villeger is no stranger to brands, he joined Tesla after a successful career at Coach, Longchamp, and Estee Lauder.

Date–Tuesday , 11 April
1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Italian Restaurant- La Cucina
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

Many CEOs have extensive legal experience, however as the representative of a major business it is not easy to know everything.  Knowing how things work legally in advance can save a lot of pain later on.  In the March CI lunch, we will have a Legal Round Robin.  There will be no slide decks.  CI welcomes back Mr. Jean-Denis Marx, a partner with Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise). We have prepared a list of topics and questions to spur the conversation but this is your chance to ask ANYTHING legal.  The meeting will follow the flow of the group, however initial areas planned include

• People- Hiring & Firing
  
• Data Protection
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• eCommerce
• Corporate Liablity
• Digital Currencies
• Agreements
• Protections

Date– Wednesday, 8 March 2017 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

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.

February’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, 7 March 1230PM-1400PM
Venue–
Roppongi Hills Club- Private Dining Room – Studio (Italian)
51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-6151 Japan

Storytelling. Big Data Analytics. Customer Journey. Omni-channel. Consumer Experience. Disruption. All concepts flipped around C-Suite, Marketing and IT circles over recent times. And yet, the rise of the very technology that has enabled and empowered individuals can create seemingly impossible paradoxes for B2C and B2B companies to overcome.

Enter the rise of Design Strategy. What began as a strategic process applied to designing products is now permeating all manner of how to engage with customers, consumers, clients, patients, stakeholders, users… you know, people. Design strategy principles & tactics are impacting boardroom decision making, product and service development and how best to connect with the people you want to build an ongoing relationship with.

On Thursday March 9 please join us for lunch with Phillip Rubel, head of Designit Tokyo & a global board member of the firm. Designit is one of the largest and most successful strategic design companies in the world, recently acquired by IT powerhouse Wipro. Designit consults for and co-creates with some of the world’s most successful companies across a huge variety of industries. Come learn how Designit helps companies first understand their customers deeper, then develops new products, services and ultimately relationships with these customers in agile and practical ways.

Date– Thursday, 9 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

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.

February’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– Thursday, 9 Feb 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