BCCJ Member Spotlight: Simon Wallington (Managing Director, Cornes Insurance)

This is an interview with Simon Wallington, Managing Director of Insurance Department of Cornes & Company Limited. From his office overlooking Tokyo Tower and one of the greatest views in all of Tokyo, Simon spoke to our intern about his career, the journey he has taken to get to this point and shared some of the challenges and surprises along the way.

Can you share with us your journey from your initial role to becoming managing director of insurance at Cornes?

I was born and brought up in Vanuatu, which used to be known as New Hebrides, it’s a British and French colony. At the age of seven and a half, because there were no schools there, I was sent to boarding school in England. My stepmother’s brother was working at Lloyd’s of London and introduced to an insurance broker. I was offered the opportunity to take up a position with him on the basis that I passed my A-levels, which I did! So at eighteen I began my career in the insurance industry.

In those days, they accepted five graduates and five school leavers.

I did the Associate of Chartered Insurance Institute exams over three years while I was training and initially worked in London for five years, followed by a chapter in Norwich, before heading back to London, a very exciting place to be.

Having been brought up overseas, I wanted the opportunity to work overseas. I was delighted when a role became available in Japan and I moved here in August 1985. It was difficult at first. It was such a cultural change for me and the market was very different, but I got used to it and started to enjoy it under the tutelage of Robin Maynard MBE.

In 1991, I requested a move within the company and I relocated to Sydney where I worked for 19 years. At the end of this time, Cornes approached me, asking if I would be interested in a three-year contract here to develop new business. At the age of 50, I said, what the heck! And my adventures with Cornes began.

After being here for a year, following some management changes, I was offered the role of managing director. This was the first time I had been a managing director and despite the fact it is in a different culture and a different market, I’m very much enjoying the experience.

What were the surprises and challenges you discovered working in a different culture?

I discovered a number of challenges. Everything takes a lot of time and the amount of paperwork in this industry is phenomenal. For example, everything must be stamped (hanko) and there are always so many meetings. The meetings tend to take a long time because the Japanese are so respectful and courteous. I have had to learn to be patient.

What are the most rewarding aspects of your role here? 

The most rewarding aspect is seeing my Japanese colleagues being willing to grow and expand in their roles and responsibilities.

When I started, there were 15 employees and we’re now almost hitting 40.

I have found that the more I’ve given responsibility and encouraged my colleagues saying: “don’t worry, we’ll pick you up if you fall over, I do believe you can do this role”, the more I have seen them blossom. That has been very exciting to model as it’s quite counter cultural to the traditional top-down Japanese style.

Are there any specific achievements that stand out?

I am most proud of our growth as a company and the way we enable our colleagues at all levels to believe in themselves and build their skills as ultimately, they are the future of the company. I will not be in this role forever and if I have done my job well Cornes Insurance will continue to flourish and grow well into the future.

What values and principles do you believe are fundamental to the company and how have they helped shaped your team dynamic?

Entrepreneurship, freedom to try new things. We work hard and also we celebrate success. That’s definitely something I’ve tried to introduce more of. The entrepreneurship is something that I don’t think a lot of people in this country are encouraged to show when they’re at school. It feels amazing to help open the eyes of the team and really encourage them with that mindset. Once you can give them the vision, you just see them grow. That to me would be one of the principles that are fundamental to Cornes.

Looking ahead, what is next for Cornes in Japan and globally?

We’re going to continue to develop our position in the market here in Japan. The advantage Cornes has over a lot of other companies is that we are well known and respected because we’ve been here since 1861. It’s an enormous advantage because everyone says, “Ah yes, we know Cornes, they are a safe bet.” Personally my goal is to develop my Japanese colleagues more and more.

In terms of Cornes group, we’ve opened the members-only private luxury driving club in Minamiboso-shi, Chiba. Another extremely important part of our business is luxury cars. We’re not the only Ferrari distributor dealer, but we have about 60%  of the Ferrari market in Japan in 2023. We also sell Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Porsche.

Cornes has always been looking to get into niche areas and expand. Our president, Kenzo Watari, is very dynamic. If he sees an opportunity, he’ll look at it and make a quick decision.

I really enjoy the adventure of it. We’re not a company that sits around and gathers dust. Cornes is one of the oldest foreign company in Japan, established in 1861 and the insurance has been there since 1864.

For me, it’s been a lot of fun.  I’ve been privileged to really enjoy my work, within an exciting and entrepreneurial company. We don’t sit on our laurels. We just keep moving.