Japan

What would you do if you faced an important career pivot but there’s so much fear of the unknown that prevents you from making that leap? For Noriko Shindo, now COO of her own startup, it was taking her fear and breaking it down to pieces with what she knew the best: a spreadsheet. Sounds counterintuitive? Listen to Nori’s journey when she realized juggling between parenthood and a demanding career actually helped her realize what she was yearning the most – entrepreneurship, and how she made it happen.

Fascinated by the French culture that celebrates a woman’s strength and independence, Aya Yamanouchi pursued her French Literature study to Paris – little did she know, this journey opened the door to her multi-talented career across different parts of the fashion industry. In this episode, Aya-san, now serving as the Senior Manager for People & Culture at LVMH Japan, shared her insights on hiring and growing talent in luxury retail. But our conversation went beyond the surface, diving into strategies to promote diversity and inclusion in the Asia Pacific, where monocultural norms still often prevail.