‘Default to Action’ COVID-19 Webinar Series

Changes, Challenges and Opportunities in Education

Kirsten O’Connor | Founder & Director, QUEST TOKYO KK (moderator)
Matthew Knowles | Director Japan, British Council / Cultural Counsellor, British Embassy Tokyo
Nora Yamada | Director of External Relations, The British School of Tokyo
Richard Straughan | Corporate Business Development Manager, Rosetta Stone Learning Centre
Robin Skipsey | Academic Manager British Council

COVID-19 has shown opportunities in what can be achieved online, but has also created issues in how we rely on traditional classrooms and training rooms; not to mention the immediate issues presented to students with upcoming life-changing exams.

On May 26, we were joined by representatives of  British Council Japan, British School of Tokyo, QUEST Tokyo, and Rosetta Stone Learning Centre, who took a look from the inside at these issues, and consider the short-term predicament and longer-term implications faced by the education sector, followed by an interactive Q&A session. Expect practical advice, new perspectives and lessons on adapting to a ‘new normal’, from 4 BCCJ members covering different sides of education in Japan.

COVID-19 in Northeast Asia: Regional updates from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

Sean Blakeley | CEO, British Chamber of Commerce in Korea
David Bickle | President, British Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Steven Parker | CEO, British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei

COVID-19 is a global pandemic but responses and outcomes have varied widely. In Asia, Korea and Taiwan have won global admiration for decisive and seemingly effective government action, while Japan has had to deal with the background of the Olympics in dealing with the crisis. Governments, both national and local, have been dealing not just with the health challenge but also with the massive economic disruption, and again, policies have taken many different forms. And just as dealing with the spread of the crisis, there will surely be different approaches taken to exit strategies.

BCCJ President’s Message (24/04/2020)

Is COVID Redefining Responsible Business?

Tove Kinooka | Director, Global Perspectives
Heather McLeish | Director, EY Japan
David Bickle | President, BCCJ

The dislocation and disruption caused by COVID is immense. For many businesses, the first priority is survival, and that is challenge enough. But an eye on the longer term is also necessary – when will recovery come, what will it look like, and how will the business world have changed? While it is still early in the process, the BCCJ Responsible Business leaders will discuss how COVID is changing the conversation around major business issues – what are customers, governments and public sector, employees, shareholders, suppliers and the entire business ecosystem demanding of businesses and how should business respond? What about existing issues of Responsible Business – climate, sustainability and people?

Update and Live Q&A with British Ambassador to Japan, Paul Madden CMG

Paul Madden CMG | British Ambassador to Japan
Alison Beale | Vice-President, BCCJ (Moderator)
Naomi Davies | Economic Counsellor, The British Embassy in Tokyo (Q&A)
Chris Heffer | Minister-Counsellor, Director of Trade and Investment JP (Q&A)
Matthew Phillips | Political Counsellor (Bilateral/Internal), British Embassy in Tokyo (Q&A)

On April 21, British Ambassador to Japan, Paul Madden CMG gave an address to the BCCJ community. Together with members of the British Embassy team and BCCJ Executive Committee, the Ambassador provided an update on how the UK Government team is dealing with the immediate economic fallout, their plans to reduce the short and long-term business impact, the support available for UK businesses and individuals in Japan, and further news as part of their crisis response.

Let’s Talk about Mentorship – Women and Mentoring

Revital Shpangental | Founder of Anemone Ventures Ltd.
Kirsten O’Connor | Director, QUEST TOKYO
Agatha Lee | General Manager China at Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
Rosie Hawes | Partner at Control Risks, Shanghai
Helen McGuire | Co-Founder and MD, hopscotch.work

Women leaders in British chambers of commerce in Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore and Japan shared their expertise on mentoring on April 17 in the first multination British chamber webinar. Some 80 members from across the region joined the event, which covered tips for mentors and mentees along every step of the mentorship process, from pairing and development of a mutually beneficial relationship to evaluation and feedback.

Threats and Opportunities in Finance (Barclays, Standard Chartered, British Embassy Tokyo)

Kentaro Kiso | President, Barclays Securities Japan Ltd
Yasunori Takeuchi | CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Japan
Naomi Davies | Economic Counsellor, The British Embassy in Tokyo

What will the impact of COVID-19 be on the Japanese and global economy? In partial or complete lockdown in many countries, things look bleak. We cannot predict when recovery will come, or what shape it will take; in the meantime, equity, bond, currency and commodity markets are nervous places, to say nothing of global boardrooms, central banks and finance ministries.

Japanese Labour Law Considerations Regarding COVID-19

As many firms face financial difficulty and economic uncertainty due to the ongoing crisis, Chiba urged businesses to understand the heavy burden of proof required for dismissals.

Ordinarily, “dismissing someone is not easy. Japan has a traditional lifetime employment system and workers are strongly protected accordingly,” he said. Under employment dismissal regulations, a dismissal should “have objectively reasonable grounds” and “be considered appropriate in general societal terms.”

COVID-19 – Flexibility, Resilience and Action (with Jennifer Shinkai)

Jennifer Shinkai: ACC, Ikigai and Inclusion Facilitator and Coach Graham Davis, Senior Advisor, BCCJ

Jennifer Shinkai has shared tips on coping with the COVID-19 crisis—both personally and professionally—in the second webinar hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ). In a lively Q&A format chaired by Graham Davis, BCCJ senior adviser, the expert on change management and communications discussed the need for individuals and organisations to adopt flexibility, resilience and action in the face of the current global pandemic. Shinkai explained that this approach is important because people are feeling the strain of the crisis, with immediate concerns relating to health, welfare and family as well as wider concerns about the economy and the future. Such stress can result in many different reactions and coping mechanisms, of which not all are healthy.

COVID-19 – The Leadership Challenge (BCCJ, Robert Walters Japan, GSK, EY Japan)

Jeremy Sampson | Managing Director, Robert Walters Japan
Jonathan Spraggs | VP & Head Intercontinental Pharma Tech, GSK Heather McLeish | Director, EY Japan / BCCJ Executive Committee

The novel coronavirus is not just a health risk: it has now become one of the biggest threats to the global economy as financial markets are demonstrating. Government directives impose increasingly stringent restrictions on personal movements, public events, and business activities. Unfortunately, Japan – a country of high population density and hub of international exchanges – is no exception to this global hit, as the scale of epidemic continues to unfold.

BCCJ President’s Message – Leadership, Purpose and Digitisation in the face of COVID (18/03/2020)

As the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, the BCCJ looks to adapt and provide new value to members while staying true to its core principles. We hope you will join us.