I came to Tokyo for the first time in December 1998, as a young entrepreneur working for Remy Cointreau. I was looking for the culture shock and for sure, there was one! I remember that back then, just getting the subway price ticket right or finding your way without Google was an achievement and I fell in love with Japan.

“Make a friend a day” which is a quote from Paul Ricard. The world desperately needs more conviviality and people willing to create memorable and genuine moments of togetherness. With family, friends, colleagues, strangers, I wish to share openly, build trust and create more confidence in humankind and the pleasures in life.

Since 2009, I have been especially proud of the continuous growth of Pernod Ricard’s footprint in Japan, blending international wines and spirits with Japanese culture, leading the team to achieve exceptional results on our Champagne and whisky portfolio. Creating Japanese-inspired innovations took me all the way to invent a new sake with a Japanese partner, LINK 8888, launched last December — it’s worth a try!

In Japan, my goals are to transform Pernod Ricard to become one of the leaders in the wines and spirits business and to create a team with an entrepreneurial mindset — passionate and fearless, digital first, driven by the passion to grow and to create more conviviality for Japanese society.