CEO Insights Executive Group

Where Is Japan's Economy Going? A Talk With Jesper Koll
2022-11-08 12:30 - 14:00 (Asia/Tokyo) | The Oak Door Steakhouse, 6th Floor Grand Hyatt Tokyo, 6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, 106-0032, Japan
Japan has what it takes to be an economic superpower. As new global realities and national rivalries force unprecedented challenges and uncertainty for global leaders, Japan’s social resilience, political stability, corporate competitiveness, technocratic pragmatism, and private-sector innovation potential are poised to deliver positive upside surprises and real opportunities. No one doubts the potential; but can Japan really outperform on its own merits?

Join renowned economist Jesper Koll in person to learn:

Where to find growth opportunities
How your business can engage and profit from Japan’s new upcycle
What forces could derail progress
Why Japan’s demographic destiny is an overarching positive force for next-generation leaders and citizens

About the Speaker
An economist, angel investor, patron and, yes, Japan optimist, Jesper Koll has been researching and investing in Japan since becoming a resident in 1986. Over the past two decades, he has been consistently recognized as one of the top Japan strategists/economists, having worked as chief strategist and head of research for US investment banks J.P. Morgan and Merrill Lynch. He currently serves as global ambassador and expert director for the Monex Group and the Japan Catalyst Fund, Japan’s first retail investor-based corporate engagement/activist fund.

Koll’s analysis and insights have earned him a position on several Japanese government and corporate advisory committees, including Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike’s advisory board. In 2022, he was appointed global ambassador for Tokyo’s financial center initiative. He also serves as board director of the Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology and is a founder and board director of Asia Society Japan, where he heads the Policy Committee.

One of the few non-Japanese members of the Keizai Doyukai, the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Koll also serves on the board of several Japan-based startups and has written three books in Japanese. In 2021, he created the acclaimed video podcast series Japan—Capitalism that Works.

Navigating Japan’s Retail Jungle- Establishing An International Fashion Brand
2022-11-17 12:30 - 14:00
If you’ve been to a retail shop in Tokyo, Osaka, or maybe one of the many malls around Japan you may not realize the work that it takes to open. Hundreds of brands come to Japan. Some are massively successful while others may be more of a ‘flash in the pan’. Besides having a big name, brands must have a momentum of marketing, product develop, locations, and most importantly the interest of the customers. For Japan, it’s a retail jungle out there and chances of survival are low.
In the November CI luncheon will we welcome our own member Mr. Wolfgang Bierer. He has brought many brands to Japan and successfuly seeded and run them in the market. Brands such as Mephisto, Porsche Design, Bree, Calida, have thrived under Mr. Bierer’s leadership. Wolfgang will share on the journey through the retail “jungle”, how he established brands, improved IT processes, the biggest potential pitfalls, and the best strategies that helped make his brands successful.
Join us for another insightful lunch of Japan’s top CEOs.
