In this episode, Nozomi and Sox discuss:

• Sox’s professional journey as a Japanese Canadian and relearning Japanese for business. 
• Understanding cultural differences and pushing barriers when needed. 
• Challenges of innovation and global marketing in Japan. 
• Being clear in the destination and the purpose, but enjoying the journey. 

Key Takeaways:

• Fundamentally, people worldwide are similar and have similar values. However, there are nuances in communication that you will need to learn and adjust to.  
• You can build your own culture within your team, regardless of the wider country's culture. 
• Diversity is more than just meeting a quota and goes deeper than just the optics. 
• Influence what you can influence, but don’t stress about what you can’t control. 

"We need to think out of the box. We need to be innovative as employees and not in a box, worried about the future. We need to take risks." —  Masaki “Sox” Konno

"Human beings look at optics - that's the first sense of you that makes an impression. At the same time, we're all different. And I think it's the internal diversity that matters, especially in Japan. When I was trying to build a diverse team, I realized, I don't need the optics, I just need the mentality of diversity." —  Masaki "Sox" Konno

"The clarity that you have is what really makes you a good leader. Because of that, then when people are following you, they know what to follow, because they know where you're heading." — Nozomi Morgan

About Masaki “Sox” Konno: Masaki “Sox” Konno is a Japanese Canadian with more than 25 years of management experience. He assumed his current leadership role in February 2022. As the head of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence in Japan, he is the representative director of four of Hexagon AB’s subsidiary companies: (1) MSC Software Ltd. (2) Hexagon Metrology KK (3) Vero Software KK, and (4) D.P. Technology KK. Hexagon is a global leader in sensor, software, and autonomous solutions. Sox oversees the overall business that has a footprint of over 350 employees in Japan.

His previous role was with the Strategic Customer Engagements team at Amazon Web Services and he was responsible for architecting and closing the most significant and most strategic deals in Japan.

Previously to this, he was the Managing Director of Asia Pacific South at Dassault Systèmes, where he oversaw the strategic direction and overall performance of the company and provided leadership to a team of over 700 while growing at double-digit growth and closing the second-largest deal in the history of the company.

Prior to this, Sox was Vice President of Accelrys, an industry-leading software company that provides global, collaborative product lifecycle experiences to transform scientific innovation.

He has also held senior executive positions at Gracenote and Sony. At Gracenote, he led the team behind many successful multi-division, multi-product, worldwide initiatives to promote the company’s entertainment technology and music database both in the cloud and for connected devices.

Sox spent his formative years in Canada, excelling in team sports such as football, and was drafted into the Canadian Football League by the Ottawa Renegades. He graduated with a B.B.A. in Marketing with a Minor in Economics from Bishop’s University in Quebec, Canada, before moving to Asia for his career and family.

Connect with Masaki "Sox" Konno:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masakikonno/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masaki.konno.98  

Connect with Nozomi Morgan:

Website: https://www.michikimorgan.com/    

Book: In the works

Email: team@michikimorgan.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nozomimorgan   

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NozomiMorgan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nozomimorgan/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nozomimorgan/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie

Audio production by  Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.