It isn't easy for women to climb the corporate ladder in the United States, but in Japan, the so-called glass ceiling has been nicknamed the "concrete ceiling," says Hiroko Tatebe, a business leader and founding director of the Global Organization for Leadership and Diversity.
Tatebe, who moved to the United States as a young woman, says even if Japanese women face difficulties advancing among the male-dominated business elite, they can view a global model for success and try not to copy men's way of doing business.
Tatebe said her experience as director, vice president and treasurer of Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank of California helped foment the creation of GOLD.