Selling A New Business Idea to HQ and Making It Successful

One of the biggest challenges of being the CEO of a company with the headquarters outside of Japan is dealing with the HQ.  People are always coming in looking to ‘advise’ and contribute their thoughts on what needs to be done as Japan can’t be all that different from other markets.  Some with good intention and experience, while other ‘advisors’ might be qualified in their respective markets but lack local market and cultural experience.  This is a common challenge for CEOs of foreign companies in Japan.  Creative CEOs can be very successful if they are given a license.  Building a new concept or customized product for the market can reap great rewards.

In the August CI lunch, we will welcome Andre Zimmerman.  Mr. Zimmerman is a Swiss with a long time footprint in Japan.  In 2010, he founded Lindt & Sprungli Japan and rolled out a very successful new business line for Lindt, one of the world’s largest Chocolatiers.  The idea he built was Lindt Chocolate Cafes for people to enjoy Lindt chocolates along with a cup of coffee or tea (even Swiss herb tea). Whilst initial challenges were overwhelming, eventually, things went well and there are now 78 retail stores from Okinawa to Hokkaido.

Enjoy a great success story that will likely give you insights into how you can sell a concept to HQ and make it very successful.