24: Thierry Cohen, President, Japan Europe Trading

Thierry Cohen, President of Japan Europe Trading and Founder of
Solleone Bio, deep dives into Japan’s business culture to explain
why it’s imperative to understand Japan before working in the
country.


 


Although Mr. Cohen is Italian, he moved to Japan with his parents
when he was three years old, having graduated from the high
school St. Mary’s International School. Although Mr. Cohen could
not speak Japanese, he did note that growing up in Japan gave him
a familiarity advantage that many foreigners will not have. Mr.
Cohen then travelled to England for University, having graduated
from the London School of Economics and Political Science, which
guided him back to Italy where he worked for a few years. Briefly
working in Australia, Mr. Cohen then found himself back in Japan
and having gained the experience to work for his father’s
company, Japan Europe Trading. He comments on the cleverness of
his father as he gave Mr. Cohen a mid-level position in the
company before he would allow him to become Vice President. In
Japan, family businesses are quite common, so the concept of Mr.
Cohen taking over his father as President of Japan Europe Trading
was well accepted. However, Mr. Cohen delves into the issues that
can arise from not understanding Japanese people and even
explains some of his own mistakes.


 


Thierry Cohen goes in-depth about the dynamics and processes that
he has within his own company and gives fantastic advice for
foreigners who are planning to work in Japan. Overall, his
experiences and messages emphasise the importance to learn,
accept and embrace Japanese culture and people, as well as
gaining their trust.