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The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide
Welcome back to the FocusCore podcast with host Dr. David Sweet. This week we are talking about leadership and business mastery with Dr. Greg Story, President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training Japan. Greg is an author of a suite of books focusing specifically on mastering various aspects of doing business in Japan. He also releases multiple podcasts weekly and is a certified master trainer in all of the major Dale Carnegie training courses. So join us for this enlightening conversation about leadership, communication and the unique dynamics of doing business in Japan.
In this episode you will hear:
Things mentioned in the episode:
Dale Carnegie Tokyo Website
Dr. Greg Story’s author page on Amazon
Dr. Greg Story’s podcast page on Apple Podcasts
About Dr. Greg Story:
A Ph.D. in Japanese organisational decision-making, and a 40 year veteran of Japan, he has broad experience, having been Country Head of four organisations in Japan.
He launched a “start up” in Nagoya, and completed “turn-arounds” in both Osaka and Tokyo for Austrade.
In 2001 he was promoted to Minister Commercial in the Australian Embassy and the Country Head for Austrade.
In November 2003, Dr. Story joined Shinsei’s Retail Bank, which interestingly was a special combination of “start-up” and “turn-around”. He had 550 staff in his Platinum Banking Division, responsible for two-thirds of the revenue of the Retail Bank, eventually becoming the Joint CEO of the Retail Bank.
In July 2007, Dr. Story became the Country Head for the National Australia Bank in Japan.
In October 2010, he became President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training Japan. He is a Master Trainer and an international award winning Sales Leader with Dale Carnegie. He is a thought leader and has written eight books: Japan Sales Mastery, Za Eigyo (The 営業), Japan Business Mastery, Japan Presentations Mastery, Anata mo Purezen Tatsujin (あなたもプレゼンの達人), Stop Wasting Money On Training, Toreningu de Okane Wo Muda Ni Suru No Wa Yamemashoo (トレニングでお金を無駄にするのわやめましょう) and Japan Leadership Mastery.
He is an Adjunct Professor in the International Business Faculty of Griffith University. A 6th Dan in traditional Shitoryu Karate, he applies martial art philosophies and strategies to business issues.
Connect with Dr. Greg Story:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregstory/
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here:
2025 Salary Guide
Welcome to the first episode of 2025 for the FocusCore podcast!
This week we are joined by yet another amazing guest at the forefront of marketing and business leadership in Japan, Ricardo Tasca. Ricardo is currently the General Manager and Representative Director of Hill’s Colgate (Japan). Ricardo has years of experience leading marketing innovation and success in Japan, Brazil, Mexico and New York. In this episode Ricardo shares some unique experiences of being a leader in the pet care industry in Japan, as well as discussing global trends and innovations in marketing and brand management happening now and in the future.
In this episode you will hear:
Things mentioned in the episode:
Hill’s Food, Shelter, & Love Program: https://www.hillspet.com/food-shelter-love/my-shelter
About Ricardo:
Ricardo Tasca is the General Manager and Representative Director of Hill’s Colgate (Japan) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hill's Pet Nutrition and Colgate-Palmolive Company. He has held that position since January 1st, 2022.
Prior to that, Ricardo served for three years as the Marketing Director of Hill's Colgate (JAPAN) Ltd.
From 2016 to 2018, Ricardo served as Associate Director of the Global Marketing and Innovation Team for Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
Ricardo joined Colgate Palmolive in his native Brazil in 2003 as Assistant Brand Manager. He progressed through positions in Marketing and Retail Marketing, becoming Group Brand Manager for Colgate Toothpaste in 2009.
In 2010, Ricardo moved to Colgate Palmolive Mexico, to lead the Latin America Innovation for Mouthwashes and Sensitive Toothpaste. In 2012, moved to Colgate Headquarters in New York as the Marketing Manager of the Global Toothbrushes business, leading global strategy & innovation for key segments of the category.
Ricardo holds a degree in Business administration from the FAAP University in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Connect with Ricardo:
Website: https://www.hillspet.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-tasca-11914418/
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide
On this episode of the FocusCore podcast we are joined by global leadership expert Paul Dupuis. Paul has over 25 years of professional experience in multiple countries across Asia including Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and India. He is also the founder and CEO of Take-5 Global K.K., a consultancy firm focused on coaching, business advisory, leadership development and M&A in Japan and India. Paul joins us to share some of his insights into being a great leader in Japan and globally, as well as how to grow and develop successful leaders in your company.
In this episode you will hear:
Things mentioned in the episode:
Paul’s book; The E5 Movement: https://e5-movement.com/
The Japanese version; The 5 Golden Rules of Leadership:
https://e5-movement.com/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E
Hockey Foundation Website: https://hockeyfoundation.org/
About Paul Dupuis:
Paul Dupuis is the founder and CEO of Take-5 Global K.K., a consultancy firm focused on coaching, business advisory, leadership development and M&A in Japan and India.
Paul has over 25 years of professional experience in multiple countries across Asia including Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and India. Prior to founding Take-5 Global K.K., Paul was CEO & Chairman of Randstad Japan (2021-2023) where he led one of the largest operating companies for Randstad globally to achieve exceptional revenue growth and record profitability. During his tenure as MD and CEO of Randstad India (2017-2021), he led the turnaround of the company to become the leader in the Indian market. Paul was recognized by Great Place to Work® Institute (India) as one of India’s Best Leaders in Times of Crisis 2021. From 2011-2013 he was based in Singapore as Head of Asia for en-japan (TSE 4849.t).
A recognized thought leader, Paul frequently appears in media, and is a guest speaker at MBA schools and professional associations across Asia on topics related to Japan & India, with a focus on transformational leadership, high performance, team building, strategy and organizational development. He is a member of the MBA Faculty at GLOBIS University Graduate School. He is a non-executive Board Member of T.Hasegawa, a publicly listed company (TSE 4958). Paul is a member of the Board of Directors of HOPE International Sustainable Development Agency (JP), focusing on clean water projects and microcredit programs in Cambodia, Sudan and the Philippines, with a mission to help the neglected poor become self-reliant.
Paul is fully bilingual in English and Japanese. He published his first book on leadership, The E5 Movement in June 2020. In 2023, the best-selling Japanese version was published: The 5 Golden Rules of Leadership.
Paul is an active member of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), and is the Vice-chairman of the marketing committee of the Japan Ice Hockey Federation. He is a passionate ice hockey player and volunteers every winter as a coach and supporter of ice hockey in the remote part of the Himalayas in Northern India. He is a Guinness World Record holder, as the organizer of an ice hockey game at the highest elevation ever, on a frozen lake in Ladakh in the Himalayas of northern India (4,361m above sea level).
Connect with Paul Dupuis:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldupuis/
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here:2025 Salary Guide
This week on the FocusCore podcast, host David Sweet is joined by Simon Jelfs, Managing Director of FocusCore Japan. In the episode David and Simon discuss the biggest talent trends that will impact Japan’s recruitment landscape in 2025. These trends include things like new technologies and work structures impacting business in general, as well as the future of HR and recruitment specifically. This conversation is essential listening for companies looking to adapt and be competitive in Japan’s ever evolving market in the new year!
In this episode you will hear:
About Simon Jelfs:
Simon is from the UK and has over 20 years accounting and finance recruitment experience in Tokyo. He is the Managing Director of Focus Core which focuses on providing executive search in Japan.
Connect with Simon Jelfs:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonjelfs/
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
The latest Focus Core Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide
Welcome to the latest episode of the FocusCore podcast. In this episode we are talking about the field of Genomics and how the applied genomics technology company, Illumina is pushing the boundaries of genomic biotechnology for research and in applied medicine. Our guest is General Manager and Representative Director of Illumina KK, Arjuna Kumarasuriyar. Arjuna has commercial experience in sales, marketing, channel management and commercial operations, as well as an academic background in biotechnology and molecular biology. In the episode we dive deep into what genomics is and how it is evolving, as well as hearing some of Arjuna’s insights into Japan’s unique business landscape.
In this episode you will hear:
About Arjuna Kumarasuriyar:
Arjuna Kumarasuriyar has Commercial experience in sales, marketing, channel management and Commercial Operations in the life sciences sector. The majority of Arjuna’s career has been in genomics with Illumina covering business across the Asia Pacific region. The first eight years of his career at Illumina were in sales, marketing and sales management roles. The next eight years he established and grew a commercial operations function to support the rapidly expanding commercial team in Asia through analytics, processes, technology, training and back office functions.
Arjuna has been General Manager and Representative Director of Illumina KK since January 2023. He is passionate about finding ways for teams to perform at their best whether it is shaping organizational structures and culture or getting into the operational enablement to enable efficient and effective customer value creation.
Arjuna has a Bachelors in Biotechnology and a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Queensland, Australia. He joined Illumina in 2007 after working in R&D, quality assurance, and technology transfer roles for several biotech companies and government agencies in Singapore and Australia.
Connect with Arjuna Kumarasuriyar:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunakumarasuriyar/
X: https://x.com/ArjunaK
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
The latest Focus Core Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide
Welcome back to the FocusCore podcast. In this episode we are talking to a titan of the food industry in Japan, Paul Kraft. In his over twenty years experience, Paul has launched and led multiple brands to succeed in the Japanese market. He is now the Founder and President of JapanIQ, a company that specializes in helping companies avoid missteps and drive growth in the unique Japanese business landscape. In this episode we discuss the Japanese retail food market, what works, what doesn’t, and future trends we can expect to see unfold in the coming years.
In this episode you will hear:
About Paul Kraft:
Paul Kraft helps medium-sized foreign firms expand and optimize their footprints in the perplexing Japanese market. With over 20 years in the trenches navigating Japan Inc., Paul knows what lasts, what languishes, when to pivot, and when to start from scratch.
Paul took HARIBO gummi bears from #8 to #1 in 4 years, led Starbucks’ CPG entry into the Japanese mass market and department stores – including #1 at CVS. He launched the HoneyBaked Ham restaurant chain in their first-ever international market and grew Nestle Nespresso’s Japanese foodservice business by 20+%.
Paul specializes in Route-to-Market Analysis, Partner Identification, Hiring (and Firing), Empowering the Local Team to Speak Up, Value Chain Analysis, Strategic Planning, Translating Brands to the Japanese Market, Forecasting, Market Research, Marketing Communication, Japan Crisis Management, Live TV Interviews, Thought Leadership, Meeting Retailers, Launching New Products, Quality Control Checks, Factory Audits, and Market Audits.
Connect with Paul Kraft:
Website: https://www.japaniq.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kraftpaul
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@JapanIQ
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
The latest Focus Core Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide
On the latest episode of the FocusCore podcast, host David Sweet discusses the current Media and Marketing landscape in Japan with John Flanagan, President and Managing Director of A+E Networks Japan and SE Asia. John has 30 plus years experience in the Media industry in Japan and has seen it evolve, including the rise of streaming services and the current advances in AI technologies. John also has extensive marketing experience and has some great advice for foreign business leaders looking to effectively market to Japanese audiences.
In this episode you will hear:
About John Flanagan:
John Flanagan is President and Managing Director of A+E Networks Japan and SE Asia. Flanagan is a media professional with over 30 years' experience in Japan. His career highlights include launching J:COM and running marketing at 20th Century Fox and iTunes in Japan. Flanagan also teaches marketing part time at Japan’s largest MBA school, GLOBIS University. He graduated from Colorado College, which included one year's study at Waseda University in Tokyo. Flanagan later attended INSEAD.
Connect with John Flanagan:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnflanaganasia
A+E Networks Website: https://jp.aenetworks.com/
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
Welcome to the latest episode of the FocusCore podcast. This week we are talking with Sanae Endo, a seasoned HR professional, coach, and engagement consultant with a wealth of experience spanning over two decades. Join Sanae and host David Sweet as we dive into her journey, explore the trends shaping HR in Japan and beyond, and gain valuable insight into creating thriving, inclusive organizational cultures.
In this episode you will hear:
About Sanae Endo:
Sanae Endo is a seasoned HR professional, coach, and engagement consultant with a wealth of experience spanning over two decades.
Her expertise encompasses executive coaching, union negotiation, recruitment, and training, global leadership, public relations, and strategic HR management. She has been a pivotal figure in driving organizational improvement across various industries. Throughout her illustrious career, Sanae has held key positions in some of the world's leading companies.
She served as the Japan Country HR Manager at Caterpillar, HR Business Partner at Coca-Cola East, HR VP at Hitachi-Johnson Controls Air Conditioning, General Manager of HR Talent at AXA Life, HR Senior Director at Gap, HR Director at Estée Lauder, and currently she is the VP of Communication and Engagement Officer at SkyDrive.
Sanae holds an MBA from the University of Wales, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from San Francisco State University. She is also a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt and a Hogan Certified Assessor.
Connect with Sanae Endo:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sanae-endo-026275110
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
In this latest episode of the FocusCore podcast, host David Sweet is joined by Timothy Connor from Synnovate, a company that helps companies launch and succeed in the Japan market through four key practice areas. If you are a business leader in the Japanese market this conversation will provide some invaluable insights. In the episode Timothy explains the concept of strategic leadership and outlines the five leadership archetypes that are required at the different stages of an organization’s growth.
In this episode you will hear:
About Timothy:
Timothy Connor is a bilingual and bicultural longtime resident of Tokyo Japan. He has 25 years of experience in consumer related businesses, both B2B2C and B2C. During this time, he has developed a deep understanding of the Japanese market, its consumers, and the unique aspects of doing business in Japan, where trust relationships are essential.
As CEO of Synnovate, he develops road maps to growth, leads the implementation, and works synergistically with the local master distributor or franchisor to achieve growth. He uses his bilingual and bicultural expertise to liaise and create a trust relationship with the distributors and partners to then innovate in products, sales and marketing channels, and activation promotional activities. As a non-Japanese, he can often see opportunities that the Japanese partners cannot and has more flexibility than a Japanese partner to do things outside the box. Marketing to Japanese consumers requires a highly developed customer experience and attention to the finest details of quality, an aspect sometimes overlooked by foreign brands.
Previously Managing Director in charge of corporate development and the marketing service business group of an American owned firm. His role was to find new business opportunities, devise the market strategy for sales and distribution partners, develop the organization, and subsequently run the new business.
These experiences motivated him to develop the concept of strategic leadership and the five “types” of leadership that can become necessary in the growth journey of any business.
Connect with Timothy:
Website: https://www.synnovate.jp/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyconnor/
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
Welcome back from the August break. On this episode of the podcast we sit down with the Managing Director and President of DSV Solutions in Japan, Scott Smalley. Scott is a senior management executive with over 35 years of experience, 25 of which have been dedicated to global logistics in Japan. Scott is bilingual, multicultural, well-connected and highly respected within the logistics industry and business in general in Japan. In this conversation we learn some of Scott’s strategies and advice for managing global operations in Japan, and multinationally.
In this episode you will hear:
About Scott Smalley:
Scott is a senior management executive with over 35 years of experience, 25 of which have been dedicated to global logistics in Japan. Currently, he serves as the Managing Director and President of DSV Solutions in Japan. Scott’s professional journey has been marked by a unique blend of strategic sales and operational expertise in global supply-chain management and logistics. As a bi-lingual, multicultural professional, Scott brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in managing global operations.
Although contract logistics has been Scott’s primary professional focus, he has extensive experience in freight forwarding and global customer relationship management. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with peers around the world to tackle complex supply-chain challenges, leveraging his global connections and insights to drive successful outcomes.
Scott’s career is defined by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a keen focus on the bottom line. He has consistently demonstrated his ability to design innovative supply-chain products and services, leading by example to ensure successful implementations. Scott is also deeply committed to coaching and encouraging his business teams to excel, helping them achieve results beyond their expectations. Scott’s peers consider him well-connected and highly respected not only within the logistics industry but also among multinational management professionals worldwide.
Connect with Scott Smalley:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-smalley-0186a
DSV website: https://www.dsv.com/en/countries/asia/japan
Connect with David Sweet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp
Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/
Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/
“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.
2025 Salary Guide
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