The French Chamber is glad to announce the next event in the Marketing and Retail Committee series which will be held on Wednesday, July 25. It will be the occasion to meet with and listen to Andre Zimmermann, Representative Director of Lindt & Sprüngli Japan.
Be nice to people is one of the virtues that can bear fruit in the most unexpected times and places. Through a friend’s introduction Andre Zimmermann learned about the plans Lindt had in Japan and how to get the job to make them happen. He founded Lindt & Sprüngli Japan in 2010, but the story is much older than that.
Lindt & Sprüngli is recognized as a leader in the market for premium quality chocolate, offering a large selection of products in more than 120 countries around the world. Since the mid-seventies, Lindt is represented in Japan through a distributor. In parallel, Lindt & Sprungli Japan was founded in 2010 to enter the retail business here. The first Chocolate Café was set up in Ginza and with the inclusion of outlet park shops the number has increased to 36 premises nation-wide and counting.
How come a wholesale company dares to tackle retail in one of the most demanding market places in the world? How to overcome internal politics and opposition, and create willingness to change? Lindt Japan has become the internal showcase on how to move forward and gain market share.
About the speaker
Andre Zimmermann graduated with a Master’s Degree in Innovation and Change from York St. John University, UK. Whilst working for Yamaichi Securities in Zurich during the bubble of the 80’s, he was approached by the largest Financial Market Data Vendor at the time in Europe to head their newly established branch in the Far-East. After 15 successful years with the company in Tokyo, he was then invited to jumpstart an investment promotion entity at the Swiss embassy in Tokyo to bring Japanese companies to Switzerland.
Three and a half years on, he moved back into the private industry, briefly working in the railway industry before founding in 2010 the chocolate retail business for Lindt & Sprüngli in Japan.
In his young adult years he travelled to Japan to gain his black belt in Sho Ling Shi Kempo. Andre Zimmermann has lived in Japan altogether for over 30 years.
Date Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Time From 12:30 to 14:00 (doors open at 12:00)
Venue CCI France Japon, 1F Conference room
Admission fee, lunchbox included (to be paid in cash at the door or online via PayPal)
JPY 3 000 for members of the CCI France Japon, Paris Club and foreign Chambers
JPY 6 000 for non-members
Language English
Deadline for registration/cancellation Friday, July 20, 2018, 17:00
Any cancellation after the deadline or no-show will be charged.
Register for this event
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Online Payment
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