Tomoko Katsurayama
President and CEO, GLOBIS Asia

Tomoko Katsurayama is the President & CEO of GLOBIS Asia Campus Pte. Ltd., the Southeast Asian headquarters of GLOBIS, where she has been stationed since 2014. She is also a member of the Executive Committee at GLOBIS.

In her current role, she is engaged in realizing the GLOBIS vision in the Southeast Asian region, which is to build an ecosystem to create and innovate society.

Prior to joining GLOBIS, Tomoko Katsurayama gained valuable experience working at Nike Japan, Amazon Japan, and a foreign consulting firm. At GLOBIS, she was instrumental in developing research and programs related to strategy and marketing, and she was also involved in launching and operating the G1 Global Conference. The conference brings together leaders from diverse fields including politics, economy, business, science, technology, and culture to discuss future visions and global challenges, and explore potential solutions.

Tomoko Katsurayama earned her Bachelor's degree from Nagoya University, and her MBA and MSA (Master of Sports Administration) from Ohio University.

Prim Phloeun
Executive Director, Living Arts International

Prim started his career as one of the co-founders of a vocational training program called ‘Artisans d’Angkor,’ which teaches young artisans in rural areas to develop skills in traditional handicrafts, and creates a marketplace for their work. In 2010, he became Director of Cambodian Living Arts. In the last decade he has led the transformation of Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) into Living Arts International, initiating policy-driven, collaborative, and transnational cultural actions, inspired by the resilience of arts communities in post-conflict contexts. Five years ago, Living Arts International launched a regional organization, Mekong Cultural Hub, the mission of which is to empower diverse cultural practitioners to bring to life their visions for an inclusive, sustainable Asia.

Yupharet Eakturapakal, who has planned and managed many Japan-related events in Thailand, emphasized the importance of respect for local ideas in intercultural business. “In Thailand, looking good on Instagram is crucial, and there is a fad for omakase dining where people even have fun filming the chef’s performance,” she noted. “This is different from omakase dining at a restaurant in Japan, but that’s OK. Localization strategies that don’t reject local ways of doing things are important for gaining the understanding of locals, and they are the key to success.”

Tomoko Katsurayama, who is based in Singapore and fosters Southeast Asian business leaders, remarked that “working in an intercultural environment generates new value and provides opportunities to enrich your thinking.” Unforeseen difficulties frequently arise in the course of intercultural business. According to Katsurayama, “When differences occur, in many cases people think they are right and the other person is wrong, or just give up trying or wanting to understand. This is a natural reaction, so it is important to learn from differences and deliberately develop the skill of producing something from them. Rather than being baffling, intercultural business is a starting point for generating new value and enriching your thinking.”

Prim Phloeun, who forges connections between society and the arts in Cambodia, voiced concern over growing nationalism among young people in recent years. “They seem to believe that their own culture is correct, and that it will dominate in the region,” he warned. “It is precisely in times like these that we should increase opportunities for intercultural exchanges. By doing so, we can help people to see the importance of ties with other countries and regions, rather than living in isolation within a nationalistic point of view.”