A Symposium about Globalization for Business and Board, co-organized by the Tokyo office of Egon Zehnder International and IMD business school, was held in Tokyo in the end of 2011. The event was attended by 40 of Japan's top senior executives with
Mr. Yasuchika Hasegawa, chairman of Japan's leading business association and President of Takeda Pharmaceutical, as guest of honour. There was an open discussion of challenges and efforts to internationalize corporate boards in recent years. In his presentation IMD President
Dominique Turpin highlighted that global companies can only harness the full benefits of diversity at board level by fostering respect and trust.
Simon Page, a consultant at Egon Zehnder International, Hong Kong, then outlined a seven stage process to help boards globalise. He urged companies to be bolder when recruiting new directors, to focus on integrating new members effectively, and to recognize cultural differences when running the board. Page's presentation was followed by a lively panel discussion of the topic.
