On the latest episode of the podcast FocusCore Managing Director, Simon Jelfs, interviews FocusCore’s Singapore Director, David Chong. David has over 17 years talent acquisition experience across internal TA roles, RPO, and Recruitment Agency. He has lived and worked in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and China. In this discussion David Chong shares with us some of his vast knowledge of recruitment, both internally and externally, and explores the current recruitment landscape in Japan, and internationally. In this episode you will hear: What made David Chong join the FocusCore team Why Japan's r ..read more

This week on the podcast we talk sustainability in Japan with Heather Prosser from Morrow Sodali Japan. In the episode we discuss what sustainability is and how Japanese corporations can start to initiate sustainable change in their workplaces. If you are a business leader in Japan considering the benefits of making your company more sustainable, or if you are an employee wondering how you can influence your employer to make meaningful changes, this is the episode to listen to! In this episode you will hear: How Japan compares to the rest of the world in terms of sustainability How business l ..read more

In the latest episode of the FocusCore podcast we talk to the CEO of Scaling Your Company, Tyson Batino. Tyson advises small business owners and startups on how to scale their business in Japan from six figures to eight figures and also provides coaching to executives on running an organization. In this episode Tyson shares with us his invaluable insights into how  businesses can improve their recruitment pipeline and processes. This is an episode that you'll want to listen to for APAC companies looking to open businesses in Japan, and small companies in Japan looking to scale and grow th ..read more

On the latest episode of the podcast we are thrilled to be able to welcome back our very first guest, Hideo Goto. Hideo is the President of Schick Japan and has more than 20 years experience in the health and beauty industry, and a strong track record of driving results and being incredibly innovative in his approach. If you are an APAC business leader in Japan looking to innovate in a traditionally risk averse business culture, listen to this episode to learn how to encourage a fearlessly innovative culture in your company. In this episode you will hear: Advice for APAC leaders working in Ja ..read more

This week on the podcast we switch things up and have guest host Simon Jelfs, Managing Director of FocusCore Japan, interviews Dr. David Sweet to find out what makes him tick, in business and in life. David is originally from Denver, Colorado with 25 years recruitment experience in Japan, all of it in leadership roles. He established FocusCore Japan in 2011. He's a father of two, a keen runner, a writer, and an ukulele player. Listen to the episode to learn more about how David manages to be so proactive and motivated in business and in life, and gain some invaluable insight into the Japanese ..read more

The automotive industry is currently experiencing a lot of change and innovation globally with, among other things, the increased development and adoption of electric cars and autonomous vehicles. Leaders in this industry are increasingly having to be agile and innovative as well. This week we talk to one such agile leader, Magnus Hansson, CEO/Representative Director of Jaguar Land Rover Japan. In the episode Magnus shares with us some of the innovations and challenges currently being experienced by the automotive industry in Japan, and globally. He also shares with us some insights gleaned fr ..read more

Hello and welcome to the FocusCore Podcast with your host David Sweet. In this episode, David speaks with Hideo Goto, Country General Manager of Henkel Beauty Care Japan and Korea. Hideo has a long career history in beauty and personal care spanning over 20+ years and has been in senior management roles at Henkel Beauty Care since 2017 where he has accelerated business growth by strengthening brand portfolios through innovation and building high-performing teams. By focusing on a strong organizational culture and innovation, Hideo has led Henkel to be a leader in the consumer and professional ..read more

Hello and welcome to The FocusCore Podcast. My name is David Sweet. On this podcast, we will meet interesting, inspirational and entertaining people who show why Japan is a unique and sometimes frustrating place to do business. We will discuss How to hire, train, and retain talent, How to create values that motivate Review best practices that have worked and attempts that have not. I'll be speaking to company presidents, CEOs, CFOs, HR professionals, coaches, consultants, as well as sharing with you some of my own experiences and opinions discovered over the years in this great country. The ..read more

This week I am excited to turn the podcasting tables on my guest Catherine O’Connell, who is host and cohost of two fantastic podcasts; Lawyer On Air and Jandals in Japan. If you haven’t listened to those two podcasts I highly recommend them both! Catherine is the principal and founder of her boutique commercial law firm based in Tokyo, Catherine O'Connell Law. She is the first foreign female to set up her own law practice in Tokyo and won Tokyo Foreign Lawyer of the Year Award in 2022, Boutique Law Firm of the Year Award in 2023, and is the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2 ..read more

Welcome back to the FocusCore podcast. We are excited to bring you another year of insightful and inspirational guests, as well as timely and topical solo episodes. This week we have our first guest of 2024, Ashley Harvey. Ashley is a C-Suite leader, with a 25-year international career beginning in sales and expanding out into marketing, branding, partnerships, hospitality, destination management and leadership. Ashley has a wealth of knowledge to share with us about being a business leader globally and in Japan specifically. This discussion is a master class in how to thrive as a new business ..read more