46: Loic Rethore, North Asia President, Dyson

<p>Loic Rethore, North Asia President of Dyson, shares his diverse background working in the consumer, luxury and premium goods industry across multiple countries including Japan, Australia, Korea and Hong Kong. Mr. Rethore originally developed a fascination with Japan after working as an intern in the Japan branch of L’Oreal. In order to stay in Japan, Mr. Rethore started working at LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics, working for Givenchy as the North Asia Area Manager. He has then worked in Unilever as General Manager of the Asia Pacific region and Nespresso as Head of the Oceania region before coming into his current role at Dyson.</p> <p> </p> <p>During his first few years as a leader, Mr. Rethore’s biggest challenge was building credibility and trust amongst stakeholders and his staff. In order to overcome this, Mr. Rethore tried to get to know people beyond just formal business meetings. He actively invited his team on lunches and held one-on-one conversations to establish a trusting relationship. Mr. Rethore also notes the importance of body language and introspection to overcome language and culture barriers. Working with a diverse group, Mr. Rethore provided insight on the different working style and relationship building between Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. For example, he notes that when doing business in Korea for Dyson, they are quick to buy the newest technology. On the other hand, in Japan, people are interested in high-tech brands but are more cautious and want to find out if the product suits their needs. When comparing Japan with other countries he’s worked in Mr. Rethore says: “I think the relationship to speed, but also the relationship to technology is [different].”</p> <p> </p> <p>Mr. Rethore’s experience in Japan helped him develop skills that benefited him when leading in other countries. The experience gave him ability to be more inquisitive and talk to people in stores to gain a better understanding of consumers and the market. When coming back from Hong Kong to Japan during his time at Unilever,