75: Tom Whitson, former Partner, KPMG Japan

<p>Originally from the US, Mr. Whitson’s background in Accounting, Japanese and Korean language opened him up to many opportunities in international business as a new graduate. After entering KPMG in 1975, Mr. Whitson was first assigned to work in Los Angeles to audit many Japanese companies that were entering the US market and American companies going to Japan. His clients included major companies such as Honda and Mazda Motor. Mr. Whitson then left for Korea and what was originally intended to be a short posting turned into over three years. Afterwards, Mr. Whitson went back to the US for a year in various types of training before becoming partner at KPMG Japan in Tokyo.</p> <p> </p> <p>Mr. Whitson’s first few years as a junior staff in Korea allowed him to gain important accounting and client management experience. He had a supportive boss who enabled him to learn from his mistakes and learn how to handle difficult foreigner clients.</p> <p> </p> <p>During his first years of leadership in Japan, Mr. Whitson quickly noticed how compared to other parts of the world, Japan values team work as opposed to being independent minded. Mr. Whitson has also noticed that certain Japanese people who have international experience act differently depending on the situation – in a more international environment, they will act outgoing and assertive whereas when surrounded by more Japanese people, they will become more consensus oriented and soft.</p> <p> </p> <p>Hence, Mr. Whitson is careful to listen to those who are less vocal or are not fluent in English but are adding value to the organization and giving them recognition. He explains that active listening shows respect to the other party, which leads to trust. Not jumping to conclusions about people or things is important in Japan – which is a trap many foreign leaders fall into when first arriving. Moreover, giving challenging assignments with clear expectations and support is another way Mr. Whitson shows trust in his team. By delegating and providing more accountabilit