Tokyo (SCCIJ) – The 41st Annual General Meeting of the SCCIJ membership has elected five new board members. The SCCIJ introduces them here through brief interviews, this time with the two new Kanto representatives Ms. Ayako Nakano (Director, Tokyo Center, Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH) and Mr. Alexis Perroton (Piaget Regional CEO of Richemont Japan).
Ms. Ayako Nakano, Director, Tokyo Center at the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH (© A. Nakano) and Mr. Alexis Perroton, Piaget Regional CEO of Richemont Japan (© A. Perroton).
SCCIJ: Please introduce yourself briefly.
Ms. Ayako Nakano: It is my great honor to be a part of the Swiss community since I joined the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) in 2014. Before that, I spent most of my time with companies based in the U.S. where I also learned Gospel music.
It has not been easy to work hard and raise my daughters simultaneously, but they made me realize that I am very happy to provide services for the watch industry. They make me smile when they find something related to Switzerland. Even the Swiss flag on Swiss products makes them so proud because they know that I am working for the Swiss watch industry.
Mr. Alexis Perroton: I grew up in the countryside of Geneva, in a village of 600 inhabitants, which is quite different from a megalopolis like Tokyo. I’m always very happy when I go back to my home town to balance those two worlds.
I first came to Japan in 2000 as a junior employee working for a watch company and I’ve been working in the luxury industry ever since. I am currently in charge of the Maison Piaget in Japan, part of the Richemont group.
Japan has been my second home for more than 16 years and it is now my second stay in the country. Besides Japan, I lived in several countries in Asia and Europe.
During my free time, I enjoy the many outdoor activities you can do in Japan, and I am now focusing on improving my golf handicap (at least trying to…).
SCCIJ: Why did you decide to work for the chamber as a member of the executive committee?
A. Nakano: Since I joined FH, the chamber always gave me so many things to learn as it was my first contact with the Swiss community. I started to wish to contribute somehow by becoming a part of them, but it was not very easy to raise my hand until now. I truly hope that I can gain more experience and become an appropriate person for the community very soon.
A. Perroton: Wherever I lived, I’ve always followed closely Swiss current affairs, whether political, economic, sports, etc. I thought it was good timing to get more involved locally and increase my network in Japan. The offer to join the chamber came at a perfect time!
SCCIJ: What does the chamber mean for you, and your organization?
A. Nakano: The chamber gives me a chance to connect to different industries and people. It is always important for all of us that can connect businesses and people in Japan and Switzerland.
A. Perroton: The Chamber is here to give a platform for business people who are looking for support/network and also to offer different points of view on key business topics linking Switzerland and Japan.
SCCIJ: What other services should the chamber offer?
A. Nakano: I need more time to observe the working of the chamber as I only have participated in some limited occasions. However, I am very motivated to learn and act more passionately for the community.
A. Perroton: The chamber should always try to support our members by giving them updates and news of what matters to them, and it is important we can propose interesting and various topics of discussion/debate to help our members enlarge their horizons. Switzerland has always been recognized as a nation that helps to build bridges so we should also enlarge the opportunities for our members to increase their network in Japan and Switzerland. I’ll do my best to make this happen!
