Episode #268: Alexis Perroton - CEO, Piaget Japan

Timeless luxury thrives on trust, not transactions.

In Japan, “walk the talk” converts respect into results.

Prepare for 90, execute the final 10 flawlessly.

Curiosity first; conclusions later.

Empathy is the shortcut to nemawashi.

Born in Geneva, Switzerland — the same city where Piaget began — Alexis Perroton started his career at TAG Heuer. At 24, he accepted a “Japan or nothing” posting and arrived without language skills or prior affinity for the country. The culture shock was immediate, but he refused to quit, immersed himself in the language, and built fluency as he learned retail from the shop floor. After four years, he moved to Richemont’s Finance Planning & Analysis team supporting watch maisons and later Cartier, partnering closely with marketing on product performance dashboards. That collaboration paved the way to a leadership shift: he became Head of Jewellery for Cartier Japan during a pivotal rebuilding phase marked by new management, optimism, and local creative freedom.

To broaden his scope and network, Perroton relocated to Cartier’s head office in Geneva, working with the executive committee and coordinating commercial activities across Asia at the height of China’s expansion. He subsequently led marketing and communications across 12 diverse markets in Southeast Asia from Singapore, then moved to Hong Kong in 2015 to oversee Hong Kong & Macau — the largest subsidiary at the time — through a demanding, resource-rich growth period.

Recruited to Piaget by a former Cartier colleague tasked with revitalising the maison, Perroton returned to Japan eight years ago to lead Piaget Japan. Since then, he and his team have delivered strong results across triumphs and setbacks, emphasising client relationships, boutique excellence, and disciplined execution. Across roles in Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and back to Japan, his career reflects 18 cumulative years in Japan, a deep commitment to on-the-floor leadership, and the conviction that respect, transparency, and consistency (“walk the talk”) generate trust and performance.

Alexis Perroton’s leadership philosophy is forged from the boutique floor up. He insists luxury is about emotion and human connection, and that leaders must be visible, useful, and humble where the relationship actually forms: in-store. Early in Japan, unable to speak or read the language, he nearly left. Instead, he doubled down, learned Japanese, and used that experience to shape a style that blends Swiss discipline with Japanese trust-building. Over time he moved through finance, marketing, and general management across Asia, all while honing empathy and executional rigour.

Perroton learned that Japanese engagement cannot be read through global dashboards alone. Survey scores trend conservative, but comments are nuanced and often positive; a “5/10” may signify a customer’s desire to keep a brand exclusive rather than dissatisfaction. He rejects international league tables that flatten culture, preferring to mine qualitative feedback and then close the loop visibly so staff see action, not surveys for surveys’ sake. This is classic nemawashi: patiently build consensus and psychological safety before decisions are formalised (ringi-sho), and communicate the “why,” the frame, and the plan.

He is equally clear-eyed on empowerment. Large brainstorming sessions seldom unlock the quiet voices; one-to-one breakfasts and small-group conversations do. He schedules weekly “what I did/what I’m doing” forums so every voice exercises agency. Then he provides structure — owners, milestones, expectations — so ideas survive the off-site and turn into operational work. He understands Japan’s “prepare 90, execute 10” rhythm and harnesses it: meticulous rehearsal (including speeches scripted phonetically in romaji) ensures flawless client experiences.

On technology, he is pragmatic. Luxury e-commerce remains smaller in Japan; clients value brick-and-mortar intimacy, trusted advice, and post-purchase care. Technology supports, but cannot replace, that theatre. Decision intelligence for leaders here means translating data into empathetic action: role-plays at morning chokurei, field coaching, and feedback cadences that respect uncertainty avoidance while still inviting challenge.

Language proficiency matters because it collapses distance. Speaking directly with clients at dinners and events, or packing event crates with staff after hours, signals “same boat” solidarity that no town hall can replicate. It also short-circuits the “expat for three years and gone” scepticism. Resilience, for Perroton, comes from perspective: sleep resets the day; reframe the negative until a constructive path appears. In a market where wealth skews older and relationships are compounding assets, his approach fuses empathy, preparation, and presence — the quiet mechanics of trust that make luxury feel effortless.

What makes leadership in Japan unique?

Leaders succeed by investing disproportionate energy in trust and preparation. Nemawashi precedes decisions; ringi-sho codifies them; consensus safeguards execution. Staff and clients value “walk the talk” — the leader who shows up at events on weekends, role-plays in morning huddles, and can serve a client in Japanese. Preparation (90) before execution (10) yields the “flawless” client moment.

Why do global executives struggle?

They over-index on global benchmarks and underweight context. Japanese engagement and NPS scales are conservative; comments carry the gold. Translation nuance matters. Without patient listening, one-to-one conversations, and follow-through, ideas die in the gap between off-site enthusiasm and Monday reality.

Is Japan truly risk-averse?

Japan is uncertainty-averse more than risk-averse. Teams will pursue bold goals once leaders reduce ambiguity: clarify intent, sequence, owners, and safeguards. Meticulous rehearsal de-risks the last 10 percent. Leaders who frame decisions with transparent dashboards and narratives convert caution into commitment.

What leadership style actually works?

Respect, transparency, and consistency. Be reachable, empathetic, and specific. Set frames (who/what/when), then empower execution. Build psychological safety in small groups; invite challenge privately if needed. Model shared labour — from packing crates to greeting clients — to accelerate trust and speed up nemawashi.

How can technology help?

Use technology to enhance, not replace, human theatre. Digital twins of service journeys and decision intelligence dashboards can surface bottlenecks, skill gaps, and best practices. But luxury clients in Japan still choose boutiques for trust, tactility, and tailored advice. Tech should augment coaching (e.g., role-play libraries, analytics), not automate empathy.

Does language proficiency matter?

Yes — it compresses distance and signals respect. Direct Japanese conversations enable richer feedback loops with staff and clients, reduce reliance on filters, and quicken consensus. Even partial fluency, used consistently, advances trust faster than polished slides.

What’s the ultimate leadership lesson?

Curiosity before conclusions. Listen wide, close the loop visibly, and “walk the talk.” In Japan, leaders who pair empathy with structure turn consensus from a delay into a multiplier, sustaining performance through crises and growth cycles alike.

[00:00] Geneva to Ginza: Perroton recounts growing up in Switzerland, joining TAG Heuer, and taking a “Japan or nothing” assignment at 24. Early months are brutally hard — no language, cultural isolation — but he refuses to quit, learns Japanese, and discovers the client-facing heartbeat of luxury.

[05:20] From FP&A to jewellery: At Richemont he partners with marketing on analytics, then becomes Head of Jewellery for Cartier Japan during a renewal period with new management and local freedom. The move proves that cross-functional fluency (finance + marketing) accelerates leadership range.

[12:45] Head office vantage: In Geneva, he coordinates Asian markets as China scales rapidly, building an ex-co network and regional perspective. The exposure to different uncertainty profiles and market maturities seeds his later playbook on framing and consensus.

[18:30] Southeast Asia tour: From Singapore, he oversees 12 heterogeneous markets — mature (Singapore), emergent (Vietnam), culturally complex (Indonesia), Anglo-Saxon (Australia). A small, tight team learns to tailor playbooks without losing brand coherence.

[23:40] Hong Kong & Macau (2015): He leads the largest subsidiary pre-COVID, where resourcing and pressure are equally high. He calibrates “prepare 90, execute 10” at scale, learning that big markets demand both autonomy and disciplined alignment.

[28:10] Piaget Japan: Recruited amid a brand rebuild, he returns to Japan. Eight years deliver wins and setbacks, but the throughline is presence: weekends at events, dinners with clients, and coaching on the floor. He schedules boutique time, blocks calendars, and adapts to two time zones daily.

[34:15] Engagement optics: He critiques comparing Japan’s NPS/engagement to other countries. Scores are conservative; comments reveal loyalty and exclusivity impulses. The fix: translation nuance, qualitative mining, action plans, and visible follow-through — nemawashi in practice.

[40:00] Empowerment engine: Weekly “feedback” meetings make speaking up routine. Small breakfasts surface quieter voices. He supplies frames (owners, timelines) so ideas outlive off-sites. Role-play during chokurei institutionalises learning despite dispersed retail schedules.

[45:35] Digital vs. human: E-commerce is smaller in Japan’s luxury; clients prioritise tactile experiences and trusted advisors. Technology should serve decision intelligence and coaching, not attempt to automate empathy.

[49:50] Resilience & habits: He writes everything down, rehearses speeches in romaji, takes thinking breaks, and resets daily — reframing negatives until a constructive path emerges. The ultimate lesson: curiosity, empathy, structure, and “walk the talk.”

About the Author

Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie “One Carnegie Award” (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results.

He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban “Hito o Ugokasu” Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー).

In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan’s Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan’s Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.