Business Leaders on the MBA

Carlos Ghosn Nissan / Renault CEO "You need to know what you want. That's the most important thing..." Hideo "Joe" Morita Morita Trustee President & eldest son of Sony Founder Akio Morita "My father always wanted you to not only study business but also how to be a good human being..." Trevor Hill, MBA Audi Korea Managing Director & Anaheim University Online Global MBA Graduate (Class of 2004) "I've been able to take all of those skills I learned through the MBA and really put them into practice...." Bill Imada IW Group Founder and CEO "When I look for an MBA program, I'm looking for a program that is ahead of the curve, and when I heard about your Green Program...I was impressed because that's where the world is going..." Yukuo Takenaka Takenaka Partners CEO "One of the benefits, particularly for Anaheim University, is an English-taught course, and business tools to compete and succeed...I think in a global business environment, the University is an excellent school..." Bob Meistrell Body Glove Co-Founder "You've got the chance to have the best instructors all the time, and do it from home on a computer..." Daniel Yankelovich Viewpoint Learning, Inc., DYG, Inc. and Public Agenda Founder and Chairman "I learned the hard way about what it means to do business in a capitalist society, and an MBA degree...would have been very valuable to me..." Phu Hoang Virtium Technology Founder and CEO "[MBA graduates] are able to have that 30,000 foot view to build a foundation to make proper decisions and really lead the business..." Cheril Hendry HLF Brandtailers CEO "[In my business], if you can give them answers that expand beyond [marketing and advertising] then that just creates more value for what you can offer the client..." Julia Huang interTREND Communications CEO "I've seen that [MBA graduates] have a much more holistic view in terms of how the business should be looked at..." Dennis Eversole Toshiba America Business Solutions President and CEO (ret.) "I think MBAs have to be patient; I think they have to prove they can add value to the company..." Gene Wang Bitfone Founder & Hewlett-Packard VP Marketing, Handheld Business Unit "I think online education is really important. My wife is taking some classes online right now. At HP they do a lot of training and education online too. It can be very effective. It's much more convenient....It's a wave of the future." Jack Kline Christie Digital Systems CEO "When a problem comes up, [MBA holders] are able to work through the processes to find out what is the real problem...." Michael Radice NWP Services President and CEO "[With MBA holders}, I can spend more time dealing with the issue they're trying to work on or solve rather than trying to teach them how to work on or solve the issue..."

The following comments were taken from interviews conducted with business leaders in Japan by the Tokyo Journal Magazine

Nissan / Renault CEO
Carlos Ghosn

Training is part of the career of an individual . . .because we all need to refresh our skills from time to time. We all need to take some distance from real life and go and think a little bit on what we are doing and maybe exchange with other people coming from other companies from other areas and try to reposition our selves. This is something which is extremely important it you want to maintain very effective management skills in your company.

Online education takes less time, it is very flexible, you can access anybody anywhere in the world, you can have materials already prepared, and you can have one training session accessed by people in their offices in the United States, Japan, and France, so it’s very flexible, it is less expensive and it is speedier. I think it is a very valuable element.

Levi Straus Japan President
Maria Mercedes Corrales, MBA

I went to Duke's Global Executive MBA program so I think I can relate to the experience. An MBA program can be a real enriching experience and adds a new depth and discipline to practical knowledge. But you have to be prepared to work hard and invest time to make the most out of it. The professors are a great source of learning but do not underestimate the wealth of knowledge from the collective experience of the class.

Tempstaff Co., Ltd. President
Yoshiko Shinohara

I think the MBA is very important. It is very, very good for working people because Japanese companies train people in entry-level positions but the MBA is great for learning everything about how to do business. If you get an MBA, you can do anything I think.

British Telecom Japan Chairman & CEO
Koshiro Kitazato

We need staff with an MBA education. MBA graduates are very useful for us especially for developing business strategy for our company. I think for our company that is a requirement, and for other similar international companies, the situation is the same. When we hire new people, I think MBA graduates will get higher preference because of their experience and knowledge. Since the economy is becoming more and more globalized, and we have a lot of incoming foreign business professionals, MBA graduates in Japan can make for very good catalysts for developing good, effective teamwork with these people. So, the knowledge and experience of MBA graduates are quite useful for specific projects or jobs related to strategy or business development, for deal making, and for mergers and acquisitions. At the same time in the process of the globalization of business, we have more and more mixed teams, and MBA graduates will work better than people who only have a Japanese education, because if you get an MBA, you can talk business in the same language. That is very important. One of the big differences between an MBA graduate and a non-MBA graduate is that MBA graduates are familiar with the business terminology and way of thinking – strategic thinking, analytical thinking or way of thinking for developing new business. Most of the professionals who are working on the other side of negotiations – both foreign and Japanese, are MBA graduates, so you have to have the same experience. Also, in many ways, the MBA will help in networking. Japan is still very domestic-minded, and the globalization or internationalization of Japan can be done only through people. I think the MBA program will help a lot for the globalization or internationalization of Japanese business.

Motorola NTT Global Account Relations Vice President and Director
Shig Sando

Take advantage of training opportunities like an MBA program. I know the MBA will help people to conduct business, deal with people, and work in the top business environment. Business education is very good. I think from now on business must be conducted, even in Japan, between people based on their professional skills, not their titles. Negotiations are going to be between professionals. Business education is not even a weapon – it is fundamental. You need to have it, because professional people can read you very, very quickly. Japan needs many more MBAs and people like us to really provide more opportunities. MBA or MBA-like knowledge will be the base-line that business people must understand if you want to behave as a professional.

IBM World Trade Asia Corporation Vice President, Government Programs Asia Communication
Mutsuya Asano
There is a need for practical education. When I hear about Japanese universities offering MBAs, I feel it is so isolated from actual business activities. That is one reason why young people in Japan turn to the US to get an MBA. In the near future, Japanese corporations will realize the importance of the MBA, because lifetime employment in Japan has now ended and people move freely from company to company.

Accenture Japan Ltd. Chairman & Representative Director
Masakatsu Mori

You have to keep up with what is going on and maintain your competency. You have to stay marketable. Being marketable is the best job security. Corporations cannot keep the promise of lifetime employment anymore. If you are not competitive and marketable they will let you go. So keep educating yourself. That is your responsibility as an individual – to stay competitive in the market, not in the company.

Ewoman, Inc. and Unicul International, Inc President and CEO
Kaori Sasaki

You learn a lot from others and that is how you grow. Learning academic things is very important, and that is why you should get an MBA. An MBA could be a very strong passport.

American Airlines Managing Director - Japan
Nancy Knipp

Get an MBA! I think education is key. Knowledge gives you strength. Knowledge and education give you that confidence and strength that you need, but most importantly don’t give up and don’t compromise who you are as an individual.

Korn/Ferry International Regional Managing Director
Sakie Fukushima, MBA

Work hard and try to expand your limits before giving up, because I think people define their capacity too quickly. I started my business career when I was 35 and I am turning 54 this year, so my recommendation is that it is not too late for anybody and particularly learning is something that is never too late. If you can study through the Internet, anybody can do it.