Getting right people on the team is absolutely critical for business success anywhere and Japan is without doubt one of the most difficult places to hire in the world. With 1.27 open jobs per job seeker nationwide there is currently a huge shortage of suitably qualified professionals to do a wide range of jobs across […]

As yet another year closes, many executive offices are reviewing what worked and what didn’t, what sold and what didn’t,  what blew up and what overflowed.  In addition to national responsibility, many of our member CEOs have other countries in Asia as well as Australia/New Zealand reporting to them.  Growth is about reflecting on management […]

As yet another year closes, many executive offices are reviewing what worked and what didn’t, what sold and what didn’t,  what blew up and what overflowed.  In addition to national responsibility, many of our member CEOs have other countries in Asia as well as Australia/New Zealand reporting to them.  Growth is about reflecting on management […]

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 […]

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 […]