Toronto, Canada
Eric De Groot has had a 30 plus year career successfully managing the business operations of non-Japanese multinational companies in Japan and APAC. His specialty is in creating value and solving problems for such organizations, primarily in the building/construction and chemicals industries. He has established Japanese entities, improved profitability through transformation of manufacturing (Kaizen), sales and distribution channels, obtained product certifications and approvals in opaque regulatory environments, managed complex global supply chains, handled regulatory and other crises and had full PL responsibility for APAC operations of both large multinational corporations and SMEs.
Hailing from Toronto, Canada, where he now resides, Eric first came to Japan in 1988, and worked in language training before embarking on a business career and earning a master’s degree in Japanese language and studies in 1999. He served as Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan from 2009 to 2011 and remains involved in the CCCJ as their representative in Toronto. He also maintains membership in the Toronto Japanese Association of Commerce and Industry and sits on the board of directors of the Canada Japan Society. He most recently lived in Kobe from 2022 to 2024.
Having managed the Japanese and APAC operations of companies from Canada, the United States and the EU, Eric is keenly aware of the risks posed by the many cross-cultural misalignments possible when Japanese and non-Japanese organizations need to work together. This is especially so in the area of business partnerships or distribution/licensing agreements where clarity of communication and alignment of expectations are critical.
