21: Ross Rowbury, Former President of Edelman Japan

<p>Ross Rowbury, Former President of Edelman Japan, celebrated his 40th anniversary since first arriving in Japan as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. Mr. Rowbury began his career in the finance sector in banking and securities before moving on to PR roles specializing in finances. With several years of leadership experience in foreign financial firms, Mr. Rowbury made a smooth transition into PR where he embraced the creative and engagement aspect of the industry.</p> <p> </p> <p>When the President of Edelman, the largest foreign PR firm in Japan with a rapidly growing team, Mr. Rowbury strived for strong communication and engagement with his staff, but took a conscious step back when necessary. He explains, “I think, the key thing is that the leader needs to be able to identify where those turning points or tipping points [of change] are so that [you] don't become a bottleneck in that process.” Delegation also plays a large part in managing such a large team. To better lead his 80 employees, Mr. Rowbury planned on welcoming a new COO to take on much of the operational decisions.</p> <p> </p> <p>On the changing landscape of PR and modern audiences, Mr. Rowbury says ”you have to create a very strong narrative or storyline that makes them understand why it’s relevant or important to them, or they’re not going to stay there with you.” To make this possible, Edelman hires a diverse team of specialists who are talented planners and creatives, but do not necessarily “speak the same language” and work at various speeds. Mr. Rowbury tries to find the common ground between such differences through repeated discussions. He explains, “through a process of really intense discussions… over time, you are unable to get to a point where those three different definitions of product manager have actually melded into something that's unique for us. And that's where we want to be.”</p> <p> </p> <p>In an ever-evolving world, Mr. Rowbury was aware of the younger employees’ need for transparency and involvement in decision-making proce