Executive Impact
Family inspiration: Tania Coke seeks to transform elderly care
When Tania Abedian Coke was in college, her mother called her out of the blue to offer words of encouragement: “You know, you can be a CEO. I just want you to know that,” her mother said. Coke, who recalls growing up in a family environment that was always supportive, was… Read
MSC Cruises sailing ahead with innovation
The cruise ship industry continues to gain in popularity, as operators offer exciting new destinations and new entertainment and dining experiences on board. According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 95% of cruise capacity worldwide with 63 member cruise lines, around 28.5 million passengers went on cruises in… Read
Found in translation: Entrepreneur Oya Koc interprets her way to startup success
The best thing about being a founder is being able to do whatever you want, meaning you have full control over the business, and full decision-making powers. That’s what Oya Koc, co-founder and chief executive officer of Japan-based on-demand interpretation services provider Oyraa, told The ACCJ Journal when asked why she started… Read
Data-based engagement: Alyssa Kimura challenges corporate norms
When it comes to creating the optimum workplace culture, companies must realize one thing: they can’t just guess. Everything is based on data. That’s what Japanese serial entrepreneur Yumi Alyssa Kimura told The ACCJ Journal when asked how to shape a work environment that is equitable, diverse, and fully engages employees.… Read
Scent to Japan
Very quickly after Jacques Chabert created the Re-charge Black Pepper fragrance for British perfume house Molton Brown in 2001, it became a by-word for iconic, luxury scents. Having grown from a small-scale artisanal operation to an international luxury brand—with a flagship store on Regent Street and a Royal Warrant for the supply of… Read
Cloud cover: InCloud helps businesses implement IoT solutions
InCloud is a B2B technology company that is focused on bringing global cloud and IoT solutions to Japan. InCloud offers consulting and development services to help Japanese businesses properly implement cloud and IoT solutions, which include InCloud’s Project Hercules. Japan Today hears more from CEO Chris Baek. What's your background?… Read
Chat, phone, video and document-sharing in one app: AINEO does it all
In 1997, working out of a spare bedroom in his home in Saitama Prefecture, Spencer Wolfe started his company AINEO (Greek for praise), a consulting firm building contact centers (customer service centers) and dealing rooms. It was a risk as he had no customers, just some technical skill and an idea. But Wolfe persisted and… Read
Innovate and engage: James Feliciano leads AbbVie’s 5-year focus
Sometimes, taking the road less traveled leads to unexpected places. That was the case for AbbVie G.K. President and ACCJ Governor James Feliciano. In the 1980s, he thought Japan would be an interesting place to check out—what with the Japanese economic miracle and talk of Japan rising. He set out for a trip that… Read
Path finder: Machi Takahashi maps the interactive era
When entrepreneur Machi Takahashi made the transition from executive assistant to business development at a research institute, she could not have imagined the move would lead to her creating a spin-off company. Yet, as cofounder and co-CEO of Stroly, a free platform for sharing GPS-enabled designed maps, that is exactly what… Read
New Eli Lilly president making an impact
It was a desire to work with customers that first led Simone Thomsen to pursue a career in hotel management. And it was a love for things international that led her down a path in that industry to Japan. That she would find the combination of helping others and global… Read
