FIRSTPOINT JAPAN™ : LEADERSHIP & ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
"Where Japanese Business Begins."™
a) James Santagata (Editor, FirstPoint Japan):
James is the editor of FirstPointJapan™ (Japan Market & Business Information Portal), and also a Principal Consultant at SiliconEdge™ (High-Impact Communications & Leadership) as well as Career OverDrive!™ (A Platform for Career Acceleration & Expert Advice).
James is a proven International Executive Coach and Leadership Development professional having deep US, Japan and Asia-Pacific Coaching, Training and Consulting experience coupled with hands-on business & technical expertise. He serves as the Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Coaching Alliance (APCA). His role includes setting the strategic direction of the organization, creating original content, advising members and developing relationships with industry thought leaders globally. |
His biggest passion and joy, however, is found in helping others realize their true potential by guiding them as they move outside their comfort zone and onto their individual path to success.
James is also the creator of the highly-acclaimed Crush Any Interview!™ system and the game-changing Psychological Jujutsu™ (published by ImpactEQ™) which is a high-impact communication system utilizing influence, persuasion, negotiation, assertiveness and leadership skill sets across numerous communication channels, modalities and real world situations.
James holds a BS, Business/Marketing (Magna Cum Laude; Distinction in Field) from San Diego State University and attended the MBA program at University of Southern California.
Originally from California, he has chosen to base himself in Tokyo, Japan since 2006.
View James' Professional Profile On LinkedIn
James is also the creator of the highly-acclaimed Crush Any Interview!™ system and the game-changing Psychological Jujutsu™ (published by ImpactEQ™) which is a high-impact communication system utilizing influence, persuasion, negotiation, assertiveness and leadership skill sets across numerous communication channels, modalities and real world situations.
James holds a BS, Business/Marketing (Magna Cum Laude; Distinction in Field) from San Diego State University and attended the MBA program at University of Southern California.
Originally from California, he has chosen to base himself in Tokyo, Japan since 2006.
View James' Professional Profile On LinkedIn
b) Jun Kabigting (MBA/MS/HRMP) (Human Resources Vertical):
Jun Kabigting (MBA/MS/HRMP) Managing Director, HR Central KK; Chief Community Officer, The Japan HR Society (JHRS); and, Managing Editor, The HR Agenda – Japan’s first and only bilingual HR magazine Jun is an HRCI-certified HR Management Professional (HRMP) with more than 20 years of solid experience across the entire HR value chain of recruit, retain and release, most of them Japan-focused. He passionately believes in advancing the HR profession in Japan through continuing HR education, knowledge sharing, and use of HR best practices. He has a solid experience as a trainer, HR consultant, and HR-focused executive search consultant. He also has experience in other HR fields like performance management, compensation & benefits design, organizational design and development, change management, as well as other HR generalist functions like employee relations, coaching, and career counseling. Jun likewise serves as legal resident Representative Director and/or External Director for other organizations as part of HRCKK's Corporate Governance services. |
Jun holds an MBA (Major in International HR Management) from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Japan Management Certificate from the Japan-America Institute of Management Science (JAIMS). He also holds an M.S. in Industrial Engineering (major in Production and Operations Research) from the prestigious University of the Philippines and received his Certificate in HR Studies from Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor and Relations (ILR).
Aside from being a professional member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Jun is the Founding Chief Community Officer of The Japan HR Society (JHRS) ---a community of Japan-focused HR professionals worldwide and corporate leaders doing business in Japan and also serves as the Managing Editor of The HR Agenda -- Japan's first & only bilingual HR magazine.
He is an accredited consultant of Harrison Assessments International---a leading provider of tools to assist in the selection, recruitment, and development of employees. Jun also teaches HR-related courses at Temple University Japan (TUJ) and has been a frequent speaker/resource person in various domestic and international HR conferences in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and USA.
Aside from being a professional member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Jun is the Founding Chief Community Officer of The Japan HR Society (JHRS) ---a community of Japan-focused HR professionals worldwide and corporate leaders doing business in Japan and also serves as the Managing Editor of The HR Agenda -- Japan's first & only bilingual HR magazine.
He is an accredited consultant of Harrison Assessments International---a leading provider of tools to assist in the selection, recruitment, and development of employees. Jun also teaches HR-related courses at Temple University Japan (TUJ) and has been a frequent speaker/resource person in various domestic and international HR conferences in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and USA.
c) Cecil John Howell (Fashion, Retail and Consumer Goods):
Cecil has over 10 years of experience in Japan-Asia related HR (11 years Recruiting, 6 years Talent Management, 3 years in training and development and 2 years HR/GA) and heads one of the leading Fashion Boutique recruiting firms in Japan which focuses on all levels of staffing for retail fashion companies: Store & Back Office, Executive & Asia Pacific level.
He holds an Executive MBA with a focus on Human Resources from Chapman University and Bachelors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in International Business with Minors in Music, Asian Studies and Computer Science. He also holds Japanese and Chinese language certificates form Nanzan University and the Beijing Language and Culture University respectively. |
Cecil is also active in supporting trade, business
and cultural exchange efforts between Japan and his native countries of
Trinidad & Tobago and Panama.
He is a native English with full professional proficiency in Japanese and Spanish and conversational Mandarin.
He is a native English with full professional proficiency in Japanese and Spanish and conversational Mandarin.
d) Kim Pedersen (Business and Working Environment Consultant):
Kim is a truly multicultural person with extensive experience living, working and doing business in and with Japan over the last 40 years. He is trilingual with native Danish and Japanese abilities as well as possessing fluent English. He also holds an export and marketing degree from the Danish Export Institute. Kim has been working under both Japanese and Danish working environment (WE) at several different levels ranging from being employed as a commercial attaché at the Royal Danish Embassy, being a manager in a Japanese company as well as running his own businesses in Japan and Denmark. |
The Danish WE is often considered one of the best in the world. Conversely, many may consider the Japanese WE to one of the worst among the developed countries. Very few people are aware of how tough it can be to work in a Japanese company under Japanese WE conditions. Moreover, not many foreign companies are aware of the actual Japanese labor laws and what legal risks they may be facing. Complying with the Japanese labor laws is one thing. Beyond that and just as important if not more so is learning how you can provide a WE that will make your Japanese employees satisfied and happy, enabling and motivating them to be as productive as possible and to produce the most value for your company.
Contrary to popular opinion, most Japanese do not work so hard and late into the night because they want to. Instead, they often feel they have no other choice. And this can and often does lead to reduced productivity and lower employee satisfaction and engagement.
Let us help you find a few simple WE improvements by uncovering what your Japanese employees really think and would never ever share with you.
Having seen and experienced both WE and having seen how beneficial a sound and healthy WE can be (as well as how damaging a bad WE can be) Kim has devoted much of his time to try to improve the Japanese WE through the launch and operations of roukan.com (and roukan.jp for the Japanese version).
Roukan.com is based solely on employee input making possible for employees to give their honest opinion and feelings.
You have the opportunity to take advantage of this system right now. Don't delay!
Contrary to popular opinion, most Japanese do not work so hard and late into the night because they want to. Instead, they often feel they have no other choice. And this can and often does lead to reduced productivity and lower employee satisfaction and engagement.
Let us help you find a few simple WE improvements by uncovering what your Japanese employees really think and would never ever share with you.
Having seen and experienced both WE and having seen how beneficial a sound and healthy WE can be (as well as how damaging a bad WE can be) Kim has devoted much of his time to try to improve the Japanese WE through the launch and operations of roukan.com (and roukan.jp for the Japanese version).
Roukan.com is based solely on employee input making possible for employees to give their honest opinion and feelings.
You have the opportunity to take advantage of this system right now. Don't delay!
e) John Taylor (Online Marketing & Advertising Advisor, FirstPoint Japan):
John serves as FirstPoint Japan's online marketing and advertising adviser charged with promoting the website while building web traffic and share of mind.
John is a seasoned sales executive and consultant with experience in the US, Japan and Australia. He's an expert in online media and traffic analysis and previously worked as a senior manager at a major online market intelligence and insight software firm where he developed partnerships with some of the most heavily trafficked sites including MegaUpLoad, online gaming sites and well as dozens of other high profile and highly trafficked sites.
He currently works for a major Silicon Valley enterprise software company and is the founder of the Wider Sales Funnel, the premier platform for accelerating your business performance.
John is a native speaker of English as well as a native speaker of Spanish and currently resides in Sydney, Australia and previously resided in the US (California, Boston and Florida) and Tokyo, Japan.
John serves as FirstPoint Japan's online marketing and advertising adviser charged with promoting the website while building web traffic and share of mind.
John is a seasoned sales executive and consultant with experience in the US, Japan and Australia. He's an expert in online media and traffic analysis and previously worked as a senior manager at a major online market intelligence and insight software firm where he developed partnerships with some of the most heavily trafficked sites including MegaUpLoad, online gaming sites and well as dozens of other high profile and highly trafficked sites.
He currently works for a major Silicon Valley enterprise software company and is the founder of the Wider Sales Funnel, the premier platform for accelerating your business performance.
John is a native speaker of English as well as a native speaker of Spanish and currently resides in Sydney, Australia and previously resided in the US (California, Boston and Florida) and Tokyo, Japan.