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Interviewee Introduction: Mr. Martin Schoder
With close to 30 years managing complex multinational organizations across four continents, including 13 years deep in Asia, Martin Schoder brings invaluable leadership lessons on cross-cultural management. As SVP Procurement and CFO, he has led his teams through digitalization, major supply chain restructuring, and sustainability transformations while fostering global, diverse talent. His unique blend of strategic vision, operational expertise, and cultural fluency offers a masterclass in navigating multinational decision-making dynamics.
Achieving Balance: Respecting Process and Driving Results
Martin highlights the art within these challenges: blending respect for the Japanese consensus process with a European demand for speed. “I learned to build trust by involving all stakeholders early while setting clear deadlines and investing in time for communication, truly understanding each other—helping move consensus forward on a fixed timetable.”
His leadership involved explaining the economic rationale behind tough decisions, such as factory restructuring and headcount optimization, to emotionally invested colleagues. “Transparency and empathy turned skepticism into support,” he recalls.
Bridging Communication Gaps
A frequent source of friction Martin describes are misunderstandings caused by communication bottlenecks. German subsidiaries push for rapid change; headquarters in Japan expects cautious deliberation.
He reflects on one breakthrough when direct dialogue between his German team and Japanese top executives replaced intermediaries. This reset expectations and realigned production schedules to true customer needs—a move that significantly reduced friction and improved market responsiveness.
Fostering Cultural Intelligence and Inclusive Teams
Martin’s leadership philosophy embraces culture as a business asset. He believes global teams must go beyond simple multilingualism to understand the unspoken norms, expectation frameworks, and negotiation styles of colleagues from different cultural backgrounds.
“You must learn to ‘read the air’—gauging sentiment, pacing decisions, and recognizing non-verbal cues,” he says, and “like everywhere in the world, you must be open for diversity and willing to take a different, the other, perspective”. This cultural fluency lets teams work seamlessly and resolve conflicts before they escalate.
Practical Recommendations for Global Leaders
- Invest in communication and relationship building.
- Respect but pragmatically manage consensus-building timelines.
- Clearly define decisions and accountability to prevent paralysis.
- Foster open dialogue that explains the ‘why’ behind changes.
- Invest in training leaders in cultural intelligence—not as an optional skill, but essential for multinational success.
Investing in Employees: Language, Culture, and Loyalty
Perhaps most importantly, Martin urges Japanese companies to invest in employee education and training of EU employees, like they commonly do in Japan, in order to “get to know each other well” and then to fully harness cross-cultural potential of working together in return.
“Learning Japanese, at least to the degree for casual communication, is far more than language acquisition. It unlocks business etiquette, subtle communication norms, and builds trust that cannot be achieved through translators alone”.
He champions programs that provide European employees with extended internships or training periods in Japan. “Spending a few months at headquarters or production sites allows employees to immerse themselves culturally, understand decision-making, built relationships and experience the values that drive Japanese business.”
This immersion builds not only competence but profound loyalty and dedication. “Employees who go through language and cultural training often feel personally connected to the company. This loyalty enhances retention and motivation, creating a talent pipeline equipped to bridge continents and cultures.”
Such investments showcase the company’s commitment to talent development and position Japanese firms as attractive employers in Europe’s competitive labor market.
Practical Takeaways for Japanese Companies in Europe
- Empower local or hybrid leaders who understand both Japanese culture and European business realities.
- Encourage direct, transparent communication of relevant, decision making hierarchy levels, between subsidiaries and headquarters to avoid costly misunderstandings and delays.
- Balance Japanese consensus-building with European demands for speed by setting clear milestones and deadlines.
- Invest strategically in extended cultural immersion programs, such as internships in Japan, mentor programs and language training, to foster loyalty and deeper cross-cultural understanding.
Conclusion: Toward a New Era of Cross-Cultural Leadership and Growth
Mr. Martin Schoder’s journey offers a compelling blueprint for Japanese companies aiming to thrive in Europe. By embracing hybrid leadership, investing in comprehensive language and cultural training, and combining operational rigor with cultural empathy, Japanese firms can break historic barriers and fully harness Europe’s market potential. Especially now, in the current world with its geopolitical tensions – shared values, such as respect and harmony, the love for technology, innovation and sustainability are a strong basis and driver for an even stronger collaboration, between Europe and Japan.
This approach unlocks growth that is not only profitable but sustainable—and leadership that is both respectful and decisive. For global businesses navigating the intertwined worlds of East and West, Martin’s insights illuminate the path forward to lasting success.
About YS Global Search (YSGS)
YS Global Search was founded in February 2024 in Duisburg, Germany. Based on our vision, mission and values, we provide the best talent acquisition experience to our clients and the best career consulting experience to our candidates. We specialize in headhunting and executive search for local management positions in Europe, especially Germany. We are not just a recruitment company that delivers a pool of candidates to our clients and a job to our candidates. We promise to be a business partner to our clients, enhancing and strengthening their organization through the introduction of experienced and professional talent. We also promise to be a lifelong career development partner to our candidates, supporting their growth and satisfaction throughout their career milestones.
- International Executive Recruitment Specialist for local management placements in Germany
- 15 years of experience as executive search, recruitment, and headhunting consultants in
- Tokyo, Japan for 1 year
- Bangkok, Thailand for 10 Years
- Düsseldorf, Germany for 4+ Years
- Currently based in Duisburg, Germany
If you have any questions about recruitment in Germany, Europe and job searching in Germany, Europe, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to schedule a free consultation call to explain how we can help you!
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