CEO Insights Executive Group

From Cold Caller to CEO: Building New Markets
2026-04-09 12:30 - 14:00 (Asia/Tokyo) | Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- Italian Restaurant- La Cucina, 51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-6151
It is not every day that someone starts with a cold call to a famous hometown brand and ends up as a global leader in their executive team.
As a young Austrian with a passion for judo and an eye for opportunity, he reached out to a company founded in 1756 to spark their interest in developing their business in Japan. They had a local partner, but the market was tiny and the numbers were just not there. The brand had heritage, but no momentum.
The company took a chance on him. That decision led to over three decades of sustained growth built on careful judgment, market insight, persistence and the courage to act early.
Today, as CEO of Riedel Japan, Wolfgang Angyal is well known in the industry, but few know the back story behind that journey.
At the April CI meeting, you may be among the few to hear his candid account of how he scaled a heritage brand in Japan and went on to launch it in 26 countries across five continents. We will cover:
・From unknown to industry leader
・Finding the right distribution and marketing strategies
・Driving product adoption to meet untapped markets
A rare behind the scenes look at long term brand building, market creation, and the decisions that make growth stick.

Disruption & Discovery of New Markets: The American Express Japan Story
2026-05-14 12:30 - 14:00 | Roppongi Hills Club- Roppongi Hills Club- Italian Restaurant- La Cucina, 51 fl. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-6151
Across industries—whether exploring for energy resources, developing hospitality ventures, or launching new financial products—the role of the executive C-suite is fundamentally the same: to grow the business. Some growth opportunities emerge as true blue-ocean innovations, as seen in web search and social media companies. Others are discovered closer to home—by recognizing unmet needs or redefining existing markets that are hiding in plain sight.
This May, we will explore how American Express Japan has successfully navigated this challenge through strategic market discovery and business transformation. American Express has evolved its Japan business from a primarily consumer-focused B2C model into a significantly larger and more sophisticated B2B-driven growth engine. The scale and performance of the Japan operation point to strong leadership and disciplined execution in one of the world’s most competitive financial markets.
Our discussion will cover:
• Strategies for increasing B2B spend and engagement
• The future of the super-affluent and global traveler market
CEO Insights members will welcome Mr. Yasuhiro Sudo, Senior Vice President and Country Manager for American Express Japan. A 35-year veteran of American Express, Mr. Sudo joined the company as a university graduate and has built deep expertise across operations, finance, and customer-facing sales leadership—giving him a rare, end-to-end perspective on the organization and its growth strategy.
You can find his LinkedIn page here.

This meeting is OFF THE RECORD

June CI Network Lunch
2026-06-11 12:30 - 14:00 | Tokyo
TO BE DETERMINED

July CI Network Lunch
2026-07-09 12:30 - 14:00 | Tokyo

August CI Network Lunch
2026-08-20 12:30 - 14:00 | Tokyo

September CI Network Lunch
2026-09-10 12:30 - 14:00 | Tokyo

October CI Network Lunch
2026-10-08 12:30 - 14:00 | Tokyo

November CI Network Lunch
2026-11-12 12:30 - 14:00 | Tokyo

December CI Network Lunch
2026-12-10 12:30 - 14:00 | Tokyo
