Executive Impact
Toyota executive: Tariffs will raise costs, drive up prices
Chris Reynolds was promoted by Toyota late last year to one of the toughest jobs in the U.S. auto industry. He's in charge of North American manufacturing, as well as human resources, legal, finance and communications. It's manufacturing that will present the biggest challenge for Reynolds, who must navigate uncertain… Read
Matching women’s lifestyles with compatible corporate cultures
Many companies in Japan still believe that change is too risky. They don’t realize that if they don’t change, they’ll die. This is what women in business champion Satomi Fuluya told The ACCJ Journal when asked why work style reform moves more slowly in Japan than many would like. And when… Read
Why we should celebrate all types of women In Japan: An interview with Melanie Brock
She’s the first in the office every morning and somehow has time to put on an immaculate full face of makeup and curl her hair. She’s climbing the corporate ladder in a slightly liberal yet still respectable Japanese corporation, all while looking oshare and feminine in matching suits and heels. She married before… Read
SMFG weighs acquiring Asia banks to use some of $12 bil surplus capital
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) wants to acquire Asian commercial banks, utilising some of the up to $12 billion in surplus capital that Japan's third-largest lender expects to build up over the next five years, its chief executive said. "In Asia, we would like to do full banking services including… Read
Born free: Ex-returnee Rui Yamashita and the raw art of entrepreneurship
“I’ve travelled and lived in many countries, but I honestly feel that Kenya is a place where people are generally positive and happy—even if some don’t have much.” When Rui Yamashita speaks about her adopted home in East Africa, she does so with a passion that’s immediate, authentic, and infectious. A Japan-born… Read
Exposing travelers to Japan’s hidden treasures
Spending summers with her maternal grandparents in Fukushima Prefecture as a child, UK-born Niki Micklem gained a deep understanding of Japan’s regions. Her British–Japanese heritage also fostered her desire to help bridge Japan and the world. In April 2018, she found the means to do so: a sales and marketing… Read
Startup in the sky: SME makes space for satellites
Naomi Kurahara can’t quite remember how her love of science, engineering, and space came about. It may have originated from a book or article she read as a child. Or was it the shows and movies she watched at the time—"Star Trek," "Star Wars" and the Japanese sci-fi animation "Space… Read
Globalinx: Developing organizational capabilities for global business
Globalinx specializes in providing training, consulting, and coaching services to companies with a global outlook. The company helps organizations to compete globally by specializing in leadership development, management training, business communication skills and global project management training. Kevin Reynolds, who is Leadership and Organizational Development Consultant for Globalinx, first worked with… Read
Bringing purpose to trailing spouses with coach Jodi Harris
World Tree Coaching turns five this month. For its globetrotting founder, Jodi Harris, it’s a time to celebrate what she has achieved and, as she prepares for another expat placement next year, to reflect on the strong sense of self and of home required to run a global business. Growing… Read
Mai Fujimoto brings crypto to the masses
At first glance, taking the road less traveled appears to be a calling rather than a choice for serial entrepreneur Mai Fujimoto. But, on closer inspection, it’s clear that her entrepreneurial journey has been a combination of luck, smarts, and sheer will. “I always wanted to be in control of… Read
