30: Thorsten Pohl, Ex-President CEO, Boehringer Ingelheim Japan

 

Thorsten Pohl, Ex-President CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Japan, talks about his global leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having worked across continents in Brazil, Spain, and Japan. From a young age, Mr. Pohl aspired to work abroad, growing up in Germany in the age of the European Union where he saw opportunities beyond the limits of his home country. Mr. Pohl joined Boehringer Ingelheim shortly after graduating from university with an Economics and Business Administration background, being drawn to the human centric values of the family-owned pharmaceutical company.

 

Mr. Pohl started working in Brazil during the first few years at the company, then became the Head of the Spain branch, before moving to Japan. Working in various cultures around the world, Mr. Pohl shares valuable insight on leading and motivating employees in the unique Japanese business culture. Moreover, Mr. Pohl values consistency, communication, and gaining consensus in order to build trust and effectively manage a team of 1600 people.

 

For newcomers in Japan, Mr. Pohl advises to “listen, watch, try to understand people…build relationships with people and see things through their eyes and be patient. But also say what you want and make people understand how you want to lead.”