Episode #272: Erwin Yseijin, President, Semikron Danfoss Japan

Get your hands dirty: credibility in Japan is built in the field, not the boardroom.

Bridges beat barriers: headquarters alignment turns local problems into solvable projects.

Make people proud: structured “poster sessions” spark ownership, ideas and nemawashi.

Decisions at the edge: push market choices to those closest to customers, then coach.

Trust travels: clear logic, calm feedback, and consistency convert caution into commitment.

Belgian-born power-electronics engineer turned global executive, Erwin Yseijin leads Semikron Danfoss in Japan with more than three decades across Japan, Germany, and Taiwan. Beginning as a hardware engineer in switch-mode power supplies and motor drives, he joined a Japanese semiconductor firm in Munich in 1989 and relocated to Japan in 1992, learning operations, production planning, quotations, and logistics from the inside. Subsequent leadership roles at Infineon included Japan and a five-year post-merger integration in Taiwan overseeing ~50 R&D engineers and close OEM relationships across PCs, routers, and wireless. After a gallium-nitride startup stint in Dresden, he joined Semikron, later Semikron Danfoss, leading APAC reorganisation, factory consolidation, and a direct-plus-distribution sales model, before becoming Japan President. Fluent in the technical, commercial, and cultural languages of the region, he specialises in aligning headquarters and local teams, and in building pragmatic, customer-led organisations in Japan.

Erwin Yseijin exemplifies the hands-on leader who earns trust in Japan by showing up where problems live. His credo—“get your hands dirty”—is not metaphorical. When customers escalate issues, he goes with sales to uncover root causes and secure head-office commitments on the spot. That credibility shortens cycles in a market where 100% quality is table stakes and where the service “extra mile” extends even a decade beyond a nominal warranty.

A European by training and temperament, he learned Japanese corporate practice from the inside in the early 1990s, when multilayered hierarchies still defined decision flow. Rather than railing against the pyramid, he mined its upside: leaders who rise through layers bring practical judgement and empathy for shop-floor realities. Yet he also streamlined speed by bridging headquarters and Japan—translating commercial logic, technical constraints, and customer detail into decisions the field can act on.

He builds voice and pride through “poster sessions”: monthly forums where team members present customers, markets, wins, and bottlenecks to peers. That design triggers nemawashi—quiet pre-alignment—and fosters cross-functional curiosity. By picking one or two ideas from each session and ensuring execution, he turns speaking up into visible impact.

Decision rights sit with those closest to the market. Each salesperson owns one or two verticals—motor drives, wind, solar, energy storage, UPS—with accountability for target customers, competitive intel, product needs, and pricing. Headquarters supports with budgets for samples and after-warranty analysis, signalling trust with money. Where ambiguity or urgency is high—such as the 2022 exchange-rate shock—he decomposes the “working package” into digestible actions, avoiding paralysis.

Mistakes are coached privately and framed as leadership accountability: if an error occurred, expectations weren’t clear enough. Monthly one-on-ones, written agendas, and evidence-led conversations establish a durable logic chain that travels across language boundaries. Culture-wise, he neither copies a Japanese firm nor imposes a foreign pace. Instead, he articulates values—efficient workdays, transparent processes, skill development—while adapting compensation to local norms through a hybrid bonus model that blends guaranteed and performance-tied elements.

Asked how outsiders should lead in Japan, Yasvin stresses credibility, example, and constancy: be present in the hard moments, don’t over-promise, and speak in clear, digestible steps. In a country where consensus and detail orientation are prized, leaders win by aligning logic with respect—turning caution into momentum without sacrificing quality.

What makes leadership in Japan unique?

Japan blends layered hierarchies with high expectations for managers to understand field-level problems. Leaders gain status less by slogan and more by track record. Consensus is built through nemawashi and formalised via ringi-sho, with detail-rich documentation that honours uncertainty avoidance while preserving quality. The upside of layers is decision empathy; the downside can be speed—unless leaders bridge across functions and headquarters.

Why do global executives struggle?

Many push headquarters logic without translating it into local realities: customer expectations of zero defects; service beyond written warranty; and process fidelity (e.g., traceability standards) that must integrate into Japanese customers’ own systems. Leaders also misread how “pride” shows up—quietly, not publicly—and miss mechanisms (like poster sessions) that let people contribute without confrontation.

Is Japan truly risk-averse?

Not exactly; it’s uncertainty-averse. When leaders clarify the “box” and broaden it gradually, teams will step forward. Decomposing problems (e.g., FX pass-through frameworks) turns ambiguity into executable steps. Decision intelligence—structured data, clear thresholds, defined triggers—reduces uncertainty and enables action without violating quality norms.

What leadership style actually works?

Lead by example; be visibly present at customer flashpoints. Push decisions to the edge (market owners), back them with budgets, and coach in private. Use structured forums to surface ideas, then implement a few to prove that speaking up matters. Keep corporate values intact (efficient workdays, skill building) while tuning incentives to local practice.

How can technology help?

Operational dashboards that tie customer issues to root-cause analytics, plus digital twins of power-module reliability and logistics flows, elevate conversations from anecdote to evidence. Traceability systems aligned to global standards reduce manual re-entry and delays, while decision thresholds (e.g., FX bands) automate price updates and ensure fair, consistent application.

Does language proficiency matter?

Helpful, not decisive. Clear logic, written agendas, data, and diagrams travel farther than perfect grammar. Leaders who frame problems visually, confirm next actions, and close the loop consistently can overcome linguistic gaps, while continuing to study Japanese accelerates trust and nuance.

What’s the ultimate leadership lesson?

Credibility compounds. Show up in the hard moments, keep promises small and solid, convert ideas into implementation, and protect quality while increasing speed through better alignment. Over time, trust becomes a structural advantage with customers and within the team.

[00:00] Origins & first Japan posting: Belgian engineer studies German, joins a Japanese semiconductor company in Munich, moves to Japan in 1992 to run European customer logistics, planning, and quotations; learns layered structures and their benefits.

[05:20] Managing in Japanese hierarchies: layers bring practical wisdom but slow decisions; bridge HQ and field to restore speed. “Foreigner bonus” exists—use it responsibly by providing well-sanitised, detail-backed replies.

[12:45] Career arcs across regions: returns to Europe; later joins Infineon with Japan then Taiwan roles; manages ~50 R&D engineers; proximity to PC and networking OEMs sharpens customer intimacy; later moves to GaN startup; then Semikron and the Semikron Danfoss chapter with APAC reorganisation and mixed direct/distributor strategy.

[18:30] Building teams & pride: introduces monthly “poster sessions” where sales present customers, markets, breakthroughs, and blockers to peers; peers question details; leader selects a few items to implement, reinforcing nemawashi-to-execution.

[23:10] Decision rights at the edge: each seller owns one or two markets (motor drives, wind, solar, storage, UPS); accountable for targets, competitors, product asks, and price; budgets back free samples and out-of-warranty analysis.

[28:00] Quality & service ethos: zero-defect norms and long-tailed customer care; even post-warranty failures trigger root-cause analysis; traceability and conflict-mineral compliance require process alignment between global systems and Japanese customer portals.

[32:40] FX shock playbook (2022): designs a banded, process-driven pricing mechanism to adjust automatically; walks team through thresholds to reduce uncertainty; shows how decision intelligence converts volatility into fair, consistent actions.

[37:15] Coaching mistakes: private, monthly one-on-ones; leader owns clarity of expectations; written agendas, data-first dialogue; no public blame.

[41:00] Culture & rewards: maintain European work values (efficiency over presenteeism) while localising incentives—hybrid bonus with guaranteed base plus performance weights for sales, engineering, profitability, logistics.

[45:30] Final advice for new Japan leaders: don’t emulate a Japanese firm; keep core values; be physically present at customer inflection points; use logic and clear documentation; build consensus through structure (poster sessions, ringi-sho), then execute.

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.