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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

When we began our jobs, we worked on the line and talked with clients directly and dealt with our teams. We had a good understanding of what the customer wanted and how our teams were doing in delivering service. However, as we rose in the ranks and entered into the c-suite, it sometimes becomes more […]

Running a company is no easy matter. There are not just issues of profit and loss but also regulatory, legal, and operational issues that a c-level must be thinking about. When the company is a homogeneous group of people, business is complicated. However, when you are a multinational l corporation (MNC) in a multicultural environment, […]

The CEO Insights group was founded in 2004 for a reason. For top leaders to share things that work. Companies are not just about selling a product or service, business is also about who is selling those products. Who are the leaders of that brand, what is their vision, and where are they taking things? […]

Diversity in the workplace, especially at middle and senior management levels, has now come to be globally accepted as one of the critical levers for getting the best out of people and creating value. Even in Japan, with the Abe administration pushing “womenomics” to create “a society where every individual can shine”, diversity has emerged […]