253 Terii Jacobs, Regional Senior Director, Head of Human Resources, Japan, Korea, and Micronesia, Hilton

Previously Terii was Talent and Change-Asia Pacific head for
British American Tabacco; Executive Officer and Vice-President,
Business Engagement Leader-Special Projects, MetLife; Talent
Partner APAC-Director UBS; Senior Consultant, Human
Partners/Citadel Consulting; Organization Development Executive
British American Tabacco Japan.


He has a BA from Macalester College and an MBA from McGill
University.


 


·      “You can’t change Japan, so
you’re the one that’s going to need to change.”


·      “If you say something, you’ve got
to follow through with it—that’s how you build trust.”


·      “I believe in uplifting the team
more than the team executing my directives.”


·      “Patience doesn’t mean doing
nothing; it means putting in the time to build understanding.”


·      “Feedback means you care—if you
stop giving feedback, you’ve stopped caring about their
development.”


 


Terii approaches leadership in Japan through the lens of
authenticity, patience, and servant leadership. His
cross-cultural background and career in multiple industries
provide him with a nuanced view of leadership dynamics, but it is
his ability to adapt to the Japanese context that defines his
success. In Japan, he recognises that building rapport and trust
takes significantly longer than in other markets like Singapore
or Hong Kong. This delay, however, is not a barrier but a
gateway—he invests heavily in relationships and sees trust as
something earned through consistent action and personal
engagement.


He stresses the importance of understanding before implementing
change. Entering a new industry, Terii refrained from immediate
restructuring. Instead, he observed, listened, and built
relationships with stakeholders at every level. By not coming in
as the outsider intent on overhauling everything, he earned
credibility and buy-in. He believes in creating a culture where
feedback is delivered constructively and mistakes are viewed as
learning opportunities, not grounds for punishment.


Trust, for him, is built on follow-through, consistency, and
psychological safety. He makes an intentional effort to have his
team’s back, especially when things go wrong, and avoids public
reprimands. Emotional control and a steady demeanour are key to
maintaining trust—he’s acutely aware that employees are
constantly reading their leader’s signals.


Terii has driven Hilton’s cultural transformation in Japan by
focusing on both hygiene factors, such as leave policies and
compensation, and emotional engagement through peer recognition
and celebration of human milestones. Under his leadership, Hilton
Japan rose from being unranked to third best place to work in the
country and number one in hospitality.


He values grassroots input, launching Gemba-level focus groups to
surface insights from the frontline. For new leaders in Japan,
his advice is clear: be patient, don’t expect to change the
country—change yourself. Invest time in relationships, identify
internal influencers, and adapt communication for clarity and
resonance. Above all, leadership for Terii is about dreaming big,
inspiring others, and making things happen—with humility,
empathy, and persistence.