Japan's Top Business Interviews Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Jerome Chouchan — President, Godiva Japan

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"When you show honesty or your best effort, then people finally recognise you." "You have to find a way to go directly to the consumer and get insight...

Paul Kraft - Previous Country Manager, Haribo Japan

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"The amount of time you need to spend listening in Japan is very high." "You have to turn up your EQ sensitivity or your EQ radar very, very high." "N...

Wolfgang Bierer — President of Endeavor SBC

25 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Leadership is really like leading by example." "I come in. I listen a lot." "Do what you say." "You need to gain the trust of the people and show tha...

Frank Packard — Founder & Previous President, AAA Partners Japan

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Very few people in finance can make a declarative sentence." "If you can scale your message from thirty seconds to three minutes, you've got it made....

Jim Weisser — President and Co-founder, SignTime

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"The team's the most important thing." "I didn't listen very well." "I thought I had most of the answers when I didn't even know the problem." "Treat ...

Wolfgang Angyal — President of Riedel Japan

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Trust is really the only currency that is the beginning and the end of pretty much every human relation." "You give trust first, before you get trust...

Lorenzo Scrimizzi — President, Carpigiani Japan

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

  "the most important thing, I mean in Japan, for business, is to hire the right people" "the keyword is gaining trust" "you need to allow people to ...

Bob Noddin — Previous CEO of AIG Japan

22 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Japan is different and hard." "It's consistency, it's sustainability of the vision and the theme that's going to matter." "You couldn't be the super-...

Mike Alfant - CEO Fushion Systems

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Everyone wants to play for a winning team." "You've got to go to war with the army you've got, not the army you wish you had." "In Japan, talk is che...

Peter Jennings - Previous President of Dow Japan and Korea

07 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"this job is really primarily a people job" "if you get the right people, you don't have to spend a lot of time micromanaging; get out of their way an...

Ross Rowbury - Previous President, Edelman Japan

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"The key thing is that the leader needs to be able to identify where those turning points or tipping points are so that they don't become a bottleneck...

Paul Hardisty - Former CEO, Adidas Japan

21 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"The trust part is very important." "Change was a dirty word." "Anything controversial was normally me." "Doing the same thing over and over again and...

Harry Hill — Former CEO, Shop Japan

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Everybody having a shared sense of purpose and shared values… is just absolutely imperative." "I trust you, and I start from the perspective of tru...

284 Grant Torrens — Managing Director, Hays Japan

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"First thing I'd say is do it… just throw yourself into it."  "Spend the first ninety days getting to know the people… listening… before acting...

283 Beat Kraehenmann — Managing Director, Levitronix Japan

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Don't be the loud foreigner who just says we do this and this and this." "It's okay to make mistakes if you identify them, if you learn from them in ...

282 Joerg Bauer — Representative Director, Heidelberg Japan

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"If we can sell it in Japan, we can sell it also in other countries." "The first thing I believe is honesty, especially in difficult situations." "The...

281 Shu Kimura — Founder, Boulangerie Maison Kayser Japan

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"The purpose of my business is not only bake and sell, because we are introducing… culture or food habits of France to the Japanese people." "Japane...

280 Mika Matsuo - Former CHRO, AIG Japan

10 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"I listen and I also am always very transparent." "Who cares about what people think about me?" "If my boss, my future boss, thinks that I'm capable, ...

279 Tomo Kamiya, President PTC Japan

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"I think curiosity is very important. When you're curious about something, you listen." "You have to be at the forefront, not the back. You can't, hid...

278 Benjamin Costa — Representative Director and Managing Director, La Maison du Chocolat Japan

13 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Leading a team is every time challenging, to be honest." "We need to make a small success every time." "There is no official language of the company....

277 Armel Cahierre — Founder & President, B4F (Brands for France)

06 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"If you trust people, your life is very nice." "The bringing people together with one common objective needs to be carefully thought out and defining ...

276 Vincent Mathieu - CEO of Carl Zeiss Japan

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Leadership is staying ahead of change without losing authenticity". "Trust is the real currency of sales, teams, and Japan's business culture". "Zei...

275 Joanne Lin - Senior Director, APAC, Deckers Brands

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Come as you are works in Japan when leaders are also willing to read the air and meet people where they are". "Japan isn't as risk-averse as people ...

274 Martin Steenks - Previous Chief Orchestrator, Domino's Pizza Japan

15 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Deliver the win, then ring the bell. Make small mistakes fast; make big learnings faster. Think global, act local — but don't go native. Do the nema...

273 Akiko Yamamoto — President, Van Cleef & Arpels Japan

08 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Care and respect aren't slogans; they're operating principles that shape decisions and client experiences". "Lead by approachability, using nemawashi...

272 Erwin Ysewijn, President, Semikron Danfoss Japan

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Get your hands dirty: credibility in Japan is built in the field, not the boardroom". "Bridges beat barriers: headquarters alignment turns local prob...

271 Chris LaFleur, Senior Director, McLarty Associates

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Leading is easy. Getting people to follow is the hard part". "Listen first; don't pre-decide the outcome". "Japan is a Swiss watch—change one gear ...

270 Loïc Pecondon-Lacroix, President and Country Holding Officer (CHO) of ABB Japan

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Listening is easy; listening intently is leadership." "In Japan, trust isn't a KPI — it's earned through presence, patience, and predictable behavi...

269 Nicolai Bergmann — Founder, Nicolai Bergmann

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

  Flowers are a stage — design is the performance. Affordable mistakes beat catastrophic caution. Build leaders from the bench you already have. A ...

268 Alexis Perroton, CEO, Piaget Japan

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

  Timeless luxury thrives on trust, not transactions. In Japan, "walk the talk" converts respect into results. Prepare for 90, execute the final 10...

267 Dr. Laura Bonamici — Global Head of Marketing, Fujitsu

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Anything that stretches you and makes you grow is never easy." "In general, to gain trust, the three things that work are humility, curiosity, and au...

266 Evan Burkosky, Co-Founder & CEO, Kimaru AI

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

  "Japan's strength in rule-based processes has become its weakness in today's information age." "In Japan, leadership succeeds when data removes u...

265 Nate Hoernig Founder Humble Bunny

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Leaders are responsible for laying the road of brick, clearing the fog, and saying, that's our path." "If leaders are going to be strict on people, t...

264 Richard Cohen, Founder Village Cellars

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"If you feel you should say something, shut up for a little while and work out what's going on." "Leadership starts with humility, respect, and the ab...

263 Glen Argyle, President Baxter Japan

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Leadership is the ability to bring people to somewhere they didn't think they could go." "If you want to do co-creation, you have to do co-creation—...

262 Hideo Goto, President Schick Japan

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Walk the talk is the most powerful way to build trust." "Beauty grooming didn't exist—it was a new word to reflect a new purpose."  "People didn't...

261 Elio Orsara, Founder Elios Locanda Italiano

15 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

1.    "If my motivation is to make the best product, the money will follow as a consequence." 2.    "A leader must give up ego and put the right...

260 Chris Mohler, CEO Gap Asia

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"You can ask four thousand people to adjust to you, or you can adjust to them." "If we want the stores to be successful, they need to feel heard—bec...

259 Kasper Mejlvang, President Novo Nordisk Pharma Japan

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

 "Most of any leader's job is change management—setting a vision people buy into and aligning them behind it."  "I view the organisation as an inv...

258 Duncan Harrison, Managing Director, JAC International

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"In Japan, if you want performance, you need ultra-clear expectations—people need to know the goal." "Building trust means creating a safe environme...

257 Yvette Pang, CEO International Logistics Company

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"We walk the talk—not talk the talk." "Expect the unexpected—Japan will challenge every assumption you bring." "The language we use programs our m...

256 Eiichiro Onozawa CEO Savills Japan

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"You have to crystallize the objective—what the goal is, and how we can get there." "I treat differences as differences—not as superior or inferio...

255 Duncan Macintyre Managing Director CBRE Asia Pacific

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

  ·      You've got to create the right environment so people can be successful and want to stay." ·      "In Japan, trust takes long...

254 Guillaume Hansali- Country Head Keywords Studios

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Trust, for me, is the ability to predict someone's behaviour—consistency builds that predictability." "Excellence isn't the outcome—it's the rig...

253 Terii Jacobs, Regional Senior Director, Head of Human Resources, Japan, Korea, and Micronesia, Hilton

20 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Terii was Talent and Change-Asia Pacific head for British American Tabacco; Executive Officer and Vice-President, Business Engagement Leade...

252 Marc Bolduc, ITL Food Division and Representative Director Japan, Intralox and Chairman of The Canadian Chamber of Commerce In Japan

14 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

  "If you're going to lead a team in Japan, trust is the number one thing you have to build." "I didn't want it to be too top-down—I wanted everyo...

251 Kohei Noda, Country Director AB InBev Japan

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Leadership is building a strong team that can execute with resilience and deliver consistent results over time." "There's no easy way—other than ta...

250 Akiko Karaki, Partner Head of Tokyo, Brunswick Group

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Akiko was a Commentator for Fuji TV; Co-Founder of Women In Action; Partner, Strategy &; Division Head at Japan Post; Vice-President Calyon...

249 Bruno Gaussorgues, Country Manager, Societe Generale

24 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

  "If you want to impact people, first, you need to trust them—and then give them space." "You forget about collective decision-making in Japan—...

248 Rodrigo Lima, President, Danone Japan

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Rodrigo was Managing Director Danone Oceania, Managing Director Danone Nutricia Oceania, Managing Director Early Life Nutrition Danone Aust...

247 Rose MacDonald, Country Manager Japan, Wine Australia

10 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously, Rose worked for Pernod Ricard Japan as a Brand Manager for Ki No Bi and White Spirits, Brand Manager for Jameson Irish Whiskey, and Wine A...

246 Alexandre Lanos, General Manager of Jean Rousseau Japan

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alex previously was an analyst for Marche Industriel Europe (Alternance), Assistant Commerciaux Grand Comptes, Assistant Commercial Manager Le Jardin ...

245 Carl Moser, President of Vollmer Japan Corporation

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously, Carl was President of ODU Japan, Technology Support DMG Mori. He graduated with an MA in Business Administration from the University of Au...

244 Junko Kubokawa, Ex- President, Croda Japan

19 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously she was General Manager Nutrition and Health BASF Japan, Deputy Region Head Asia Pacific and Sales Head Japan, BL Home & Personal care, Cib...

243 Alberto Fochesato Managing Director of Würth Industry Japan

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Alberto was Sales Director-Industry APA in HoChiMinh, Sales Director-Industry APA Shanghai, Sales Director -South/East China Shanghai, Purc...

242 Maxime Hotelier, Cluster General Manager Tokyo, IHG ANA Hotel Group

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Maxime was General Manager Klimpton Shinjuku Tokyo, Food and Beverage Performance Manager IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, Senior Champagne Bran...

241 Tim Bailey, Principal at Bailey Consulting

29 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Tim was President of Consumer Products at D+M Holdings, General Manager Johnson Electric China, Director Marketing & Manufacturing Black & ...

240 Yuichi Takayama, Country Head, Frontier Advisors

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Yuichi was Head of Business Development, Misaki Capital, Senior Managing Director/Global Head of Sales (International Business) Nikko Asset...

239 Rami Suzuki, President ARC Therapies

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Rami was President of Moderna Japan, CEO of Ferring Pharmaceuticals, VP Head Medical Affairs Division Janssen Pharmaceuticals,  Corporate ...

238 Fabio Crisafulli, Japan C&SI Alliance & Netvibes Director, Dassault Systemes

08 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Japan C&SI Alliance & Netvibes Director, Dassault Systemes as at December 2024 when we recorded this session. Previously Fabio was C&SI Alliance Execu...

237 Orjan Pettersson, Managing Director, Profoto KK

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously, Orjan was Director of Sales, Japan at iPoint Systems gmbh, Area Sales Manager Thule Group, Director of Sales & Marketing Asia-Pacific, BA ...

236 Alan Malcolm, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Udemy Japan

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Alan was Executive Advisor, Nikkei; Chief Commercial Officer at Exceedo; Head of Asia, Pearson, President and Representative Director Pears...

235 Michael Witt, President ,Nicole Racing Japan LLC

15 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Michael was Vice-President Sales and Marketing Nicole Racing, Senior General Manager BMW Alpina, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Nicole Automobiles, ...

234 Itai Yanai, COO, Plus500

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Itai was the Country Manager for Trax Retail, Co-Founder and Acting CEO for ABJ Japan, Managing Director ImpacTech, Director of Business De...

233 Hartmut Pannen, CEO K.K. Irisu

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Hartmut was a Partner at Bizits Partners, Senior Consultant at z-anshin, Managing Director at TRUMPF Japan, Managing Director at TRUMPF Uni...

232 Koji Endo, Chairman, Kai Group

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Koji Endo's approach to leadership in Japan offers valuable insights into navigating the complexities of running a business in a culturally rich and n...

231 Corinne Southarewsky, COO Axa Japan

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously, Corrine was the Chief Distribution and Chief Claims Officer AXA XL APAC Europe and XL Insurance Company SE, Head of Claims XL Insurance co...

230 Irina Menshikova, President, Amway Japan

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Irina was Amway Russia Chairman of Liquidation Committee, Managing Director Russia, Ukraine and Central Asia, Vice-President Sales and Oper...

229 Aytekin Yildiz, APAC Cluster CEO Group BEL, President Bel Japan

05 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Aytekin previously was Greater Turkey Cluster General Manager, Turkey Country Manager, CFO Turkey, Sales Controlling Group Manager Paris Groupe Danone...

Joe Hart, Global President Dale Carnegie & Associates

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Hart, Global President Dale Carnegie & Associates Previously Joe was President Asset Health, President at Info Ally, Development Director Taubman,...

228 Miyoko Demay, Previous President Tiffany Japan

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Miyoko was Tiffany's Vice-President Global Sales, International Operations, Vice-President Japan Division, Director - International Japan, ...

227 Johhny Yoo, CEO WeWork Japan

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Johhny was Vice-President and Corporate Officer Softbank Corp (mobile) Entrepreneur AgiTech Company, Trade/Investor Multiple Global Brokers...

226 Emmanuel Marchat, Representative Director Stahl, Japan

07 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Emmanuel was the Representative Director for Camso (Michelin Japan and Korea), General Manager European Project Sumitomo Riko, Business Dev...

Ross Rowbury, Previous President of Edelman

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ross Rowbury, Previous President of Edelman Japan, celebrated his 40th anniversary since first arriving in Japan as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. M...

Jeremy Sampson, Previous Managing Director of Robert Walters Japan, now CEO N.E. Asia and Greater China

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Sampson, Managing Director of Robert Walters Japan, originally started his career at Hilton Hotel in Australia, before moving to Japan to teach...

Paul Hardisty Current President Ralph Lauren Japan, Previous President Adidas Japan

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Once you walk the talk over a given period of time as a leader, you gain trust, and then people will follow you, instead of just doing what you say. T...

Seiichiro Asakawa, Previous President Tokyo Chemical Industries

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a leader, I learned to not compete on things I did not have expertise in. I had a financial background, not a technical background, so there was no...

Laurent Depus, Previous President of Natixis Japan Securities

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Laurent Depus, President of Natixis Japan Securities, the Japanese branch of French bank corporation Natixis, has been working in Japan for over 30 ye...

Encore: Harry Hill Previous CEO of Shop Japan

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Summary When you lead people, you have to lead them in a way they are going to follow. In Japan, when you teach a class, you line people up in order o...

225 Bela Schweiger, Previous Vice-President and Board Director at Haagen Dazs Japan

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today Bela is the Chief Executive of Sans Frontiers Enter Japan K.K., Board Advisor to Soul Mate Company, Senior Executive at Life Lab Inc., and previ...

224 Eduard Gabric, President and Representative Director, VDM Metals Japan

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Eduard was sales director Outokumpu VDM Japan, Sales Director at ThyssenKrupp VDM Japan.  He has a B.A. in East Asian Studies from the Uni...

223 Svein Tyldum, CEO March McLennan North Asia

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Svein has been in a number of roles at Marsh McLennan: Country Corporate Officer Japan, Chief Executive Korea, Risk Management & Multinatio...

222 Shota Adam, Growth Lead, Employee Number One, Koala Sleep Company

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

221 Norman Tweeboom, Japan Regional Head Bloomberg

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Norman was Head of Buyside Enterprise Sales, Asia Pacific and Head of Portfolio & Index Sales, Asia Pacific at Bloomberg; Managing Director...

220 Rike Wootten, President Vantage Capital Markets Japan and President K.K. Gotairikiu Partners

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Rike was Managing Director, Woodbridge International Japan, Branch Manager ING Baring Securities Japan, Vice-President Merrill Lynch, Direc...

219 Roberto Pleitavino, President Oris Japan

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Roberto was the General Manager BrandLoyalty, President Zwiesel Japan, Export Manager and Retail And Sales Promotion Manager Japan. He has ...

218 Alejandro Cabal, President Tetra Pak Japan & Korea

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From October 2024 Alejandro will become Global CEO of Schoeller Allibert. Previously for Tetra Pak, he was VP Packaging Solution Moderna Italy, Managi...

217 Scott Sato, Chairman, AoraNow Inc

24 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Scott was Chairman Circlace Inc, CEO Tricor, President Pasona, Manager EY Scott has an undergraduate degree in accounting from Iona Univers...

216 Joe Hart, Global President Dale Carnegie & Associates

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Joe was President Asset Health, President at Info Ally, Development Director Taubman, and as a lawyer, Associate at Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy & ...

215 Richard Lyle, President of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Vice-President Trade & FDI, Intralink

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Richard was Representative Director at Avira, Senior Inward Investment Officer at the British Consulate-General Osaka, Procurement Manager,...

214 Emma Dean, Area Director APMEA North, President British American Tabacco (BAT) Japan

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Emma was Head of Marketing North Asia Area BAT, Customer Director Unilever ANZ, Trade Category Director Unilever China, Unilever Australasi...

212 Nicolas Villeger, Founder & Managing Director, Tradentry

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Nicolas was Representative Director and CEO Louis Vuitton Japan, Managing Director DFS Japan and Korea, Vice President Operations North Asi...

212 Bernard Delmas, Lead Independent Director, Nissan Motor Corporation

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Bernard was Representative in Japan for Pylote, Group Senior Advisor at Michelin, Nihon Michelin Tire Chairman, Nihon Michelin Tire Preside...

211 Christian Mecker, President Bosch Mobility South and East Asia

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Christian was VP Sales and Application Diesel Systems Robert Bosch, General Manager Robert Bosch Japan, Directeur des Ventes Robert Bosch F...

210 Tim O'Rourke, Country Manager, Meltwater Japan

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Tim has held a number of roles with Meltwater: Area Director, Managing Director Australia, Senior Client Success Manager Australia, Sales M...

209 Ji Watson Representative Director, CEO, MW Japan; EVP, CFO, MW APAC

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Ji was Senior Partner, IBM Worldwide Finance and Operations Director at Ogilvy and Mather Advertising; Director, Brand Strategy Group; Dire...

208 Michael Standar, Regional Director Troax AB

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Michael was Board Chairman and Director Voestalpine Bohler Welding Asia Pacific, Business Development Director-Consumables ESAB Asia Pacifi...

207 Gustav Strandell, Executive Director, Kohitsuji-kai Group International Care System KK

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Gustav was CEO Maihama Club Nursing Homes, Managing Director, Swedish Care Institute, Consultant Access Technology.  Gustav Graduated with...

206 Tim Hewitt, Japan Country Manager, BMS Group

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Tim was an Associate General Counsel at Marelli, Director Indirect Sales at Colt Technology Services, Senior Lawyer Minter Ellison Lawyers....

205 Tony Aram, Country Head Japan, Collectors Universe

01 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously Tony was in the Financial Accounting Group-Advisory and Administration, Nomura Holdings, Head of Real Estate Finance Macquarie Group, Chief...