124: Ikuo Yasuda, Chairman, President & CEO of Pinnacle Inc

<p>Ikuo Yasuda is the Chairman, President and CEO of Pinnacle Inc. (IMAP Japan) and is an expert in M&A business in Japan with over 30 years of experience. Mr. Yasuda graduated from Hitotsubashi University in the late 70s and entered the Long-term Credit Bank of Japan (currently Shinsei Bank) where he eventually became a Joint General Manager. After over 20 years at LTCB, Mr. Yasuda was headhunted by General Electric International Japan (GE) where he worked with Jack Welch managing business development and M&A. Mr. Yasuda also served as Country Head of Lehman Brothers Japan and Head of its investment banking department.</p> <p> </p> <p>Mr. Yasuda says compared to a Japanese company, western companies are very much performance driven. Unlike a Japanese company, age is not a determining factor in their status, as Mr. Yasuda’s boss at GE was younger than him, and there is no seniority system. He adds that management and executive level workers also do much of the front-line work, talking to clients and making presentations. Due to the nature of such a results-driven working environment, Mr. Yasuda says he had to be very strict with his subordinates, yet at the same time, motivate them and allow freedom in how they reached their goals. He took the Ame to muchi (Whip and candy) approach in leadership, learning from his boss who took a similar style. Moreover, as his bosses were superior to him regardless of their age, and had much more decision-making power than Japanese companies, he felt more pressure to produce results. Mr. Yasuda explains that one of the “GE way” was to stretch one’s goals. For example, his team will set a goal of 15% instead of a more realistic 10%, and push themselves to reach over 10% in the end.</p> <p> </p> <p>After GE, Mr. Yasuda worked at Lehman Brothers as the Country Head of Japan. When Mr. Yasuda joined Lehman, he felt a different kind of pressure from working at GE. As GE’s head of business development, Mr. Yasuda was required to make a series of acquisitions and develop new businesses.