Corporate Governance Related Training of Board Directors and Senior Managers – German and Japanese Experiences

The organization and work of boards has been a central focus of debate regarding corporate governance practices and reform initiatives in both Germany and Japan. A common underlying concern has been how to ensure that both directors and management fully understand their respective roles, and have the skills and mind-set needed to perform those roles so as to enhance effective strategic decision-making.

The seminar brings together experts from Germany and Japan to exchange and discuss approaches taken in both countries, while also touching upon some other countries.

Speakers and discussants

Tsuyoshi Abe is Director & Senior Executive Officer, Vice President of Intel K.K. In addition, he is heading Technology & Manufacturing Group in Japan. He is working for 30 years at Intel and dealing with numerous Japanese companies, not only OEMs, but also suppliers of semiconductor equipment and material. Under day-to-day business activities, he is facing many directors and management of Japanese makers. He is also in charge of formulating curriculums for internal management training with regard to leadership development. 

Nicholas Benes is the Representative Director and founder of The Board Director Training Institute of Japan (BDTI), a “public interest non-profit” organization certified by the Japanese government. Mr. Benes is a lawyer and MBA by training (Stanford and UCLA). After serving at JP Morgan as an investment banker, he founded an M&A advisory boutique in Japan and later served on a number of Japanese boards as an outside director. A twice-elected governor of the ACCJ, Mr. Benes has been active on various government advisory committees related to FDI and corporate governance. In 2013, he proposed to LDP leaders that they adopt a corporate governance code as part of the growth strategy. 

Yoshiko Cindy Shirata, Ph.D, is visiting researcher at The Research Institute for Innovation Management, Hosei University. She is outside board member of S.T. Corporation, PCA Corporation, and outside corporate auditor of DIC Corporation which are listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. She is also member of the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice Japan. She has been analysing corporate behaviour facing financial distress and published numerous academic papers. She developed a bankruptcy prediction model (SAF2002 model) that is very popular in Japan and has also been cited by academic papers in other countries.

Anja Tuschke holds the chair of Strategic Management at the Munich School of Management at LMU Munich. Her research focuses on the link between strategic management, corporate governance and performance. She is particularly interested in how networks, top management compensation, and interactions of managers, boards and owners affect strategic outcomes. She is on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, Business and Research, and Die Betriebswirtschaft. Currently she also serves as a Chairperson for the Strategic Management Society, interest group Strategic Leadership and Governance.