Ross Rowbury, Previous President of Edelman

Ross Rowbury, Previous President of Edelman Japan, celebrated his
40th anniversary since first arriving in Japan as a Rotary Youth
Exchange student. Mr. Rowbury began his career in the finance
sector in banking and securities before moving on to PR roles
specializing in finances. With several years of leadership
experience in foreign financial firms, Mr. Rowbury made a smooth
transition into PR where he embraced the creative and engagement
aspect of the industry. 


As the President of Edelman, the largest foreign PR firm in Japan
with a rapidly growing team, Mr. Rowbury strives for strong
communication and engagement with his staff, but takes a
conscious step back when necessary. He explains, “I think, the
key thing is that the leader needs to be able to identify where
those turning points or tipping points [of change] are so that
[you] don't become a bottleneck in that process.” Delegation also
plays a large part in managing such a large team. To better lead
his 80 employees, Mr. Rowbury is planning on welcoming a new COO
to take on much of the operational decisions. 


On the changing landscape of PR and modern audiences, Mr. Rowbury
says ”you have to create a very strong narrative or storyline
that makes them understand why it’s relevant or important to
them, or they’re not going to stay there with you.” To make this
possible, Edelman hires a diverse team of specialists who are
talented planners and creatives, but do not necessarily “speak
the same language” and work at various speeds. Mr. Rowbury tries
to find the common ground between such differences through
repeated discussions. He explains, “through a process of really
intense discussions…over time, you are unable to get to a point
where those three different definitions of product manager have
actually melded into something that's unique for us. And that's
where we want to be.” 


In an ever-evolving world, Mr. Rowbury is aware of the younger
employees’ need for transparency and involvement in
decision-making processes to have more trust in leadership.
Through his regular lunch meetings with junior staff, Mr. Rowbury
learned of the stress younger generations and implemented a
wellness day to promote better mental health. 


To foster creativity in a mistake-free culture like Japan, Mr.
Rowbury explains, “these days a relatively small mistake can
actually result in quite a significant impact to the business so
I'm not quite sure…[if] it's okay to go out and make mistakes, is
exactly the right message. I think it needs to be refined a
little bit more, with some parameters around what sort of mistake
is okay to make and what is not.” Additionally, Mr. Rowbury
explain that being able to admit to one’s mistake, recognize
one’s weaknesses and constantly learn, are all essential factors
in adapting to such a rapidly changing society. 


Mr. Rowbury advises newcomers to Japan to remember the three Ps –
patience, persistence, and politeness - something he was first
told as a new arrival himself. He explains that in Japan,
everything takes more time and money, but when done, the end
result is better than anywhere else. Mr. Rowbury also encourages
newcomers to not be afraid of making the ask, but maintaining
politeness by using phrases like onegaishimasu (please) and
soundanga arimasu (I would like to consult you).