Episode #274: Martin Steenks – Previous Chief Orchestrator, Domino’s Pizza Japan

Deliver the win, then ring the bell.

Make small mistakes fast; make big learnings faster.

Think global, act local — but don’t go native.

Do the nemawashi before the meeting, not during it.

Your salary is earned in the stores: go to the gemba.

A 28-year Domino’s veteran, Martin Steenks began at 16 as a delivery expert in the Netherlands. He rose to store manager, multi-unit supervisor, then franchisee, building his operation to eight stores by 2019. After selling his stores, he became Head of Operations for Domino’s Netherlands, then CEO of Domino’s Taiwan in 2021, and subsequently CEO of Domino’s Japan. Previously, he served as Chief Orchestrator in Japan, focusing on operational excellence, culture, and scalable execution in one of Domino’s most exacting service markets. He is known for hands-on store work, cross-training, “Friday F-Up” learning rituals, the Grow & Prosper bell for micro-wins, and quarterly “Go Gemba” days that connect HQ functions with frontline realities.

Martin Steenks’ leadership arc runs from a three-minute job interview at 16 to orchestrating Domino’s Japan — one of the brand’s most demanding markets for service quality. The connective tissue is execution discipline: he has run stores, supervised regions, built and exited an eight-store franchise, owned national operations, and led two country P&Ls. That breadth gives him pragmatic empathy for franchisees and HQ alike, which he leverages to align incentives, simplify operations, and insist that every back-office salary is ultimately “earned in the stores.”

Japan sharpened his leadership. Coming from low-context, fast-moving Dutch and Australian business styles into high-context Japan, he learned that meetings signalling agreement can still stall without prior nemawashi — the groundwork with middle management and other stakeholders. He invested in pre-alignment, translating intent into culturally legible action: fewer big-room debates, more quiet lobbying, more ringi-sho style consensus building for irreversible decisions, and a clear bias to test-and-learn for reversible ones. Rather than trying to “change the culture,” he adjusted himself — becoming more patient while preserving speed by separating decision types and sequencing alignment before action.

His operating system is human and tangible. He set a weekly rhythm of learning with a “Friday F-Up” session, where leaders shared mistakes and what was learned — a radical move in a high uncertainty-avoidance culture. He celebrated micro-wins with the Grow & Prosper bell to make progress visible, sustaining morale during long transformations. He bridged HQ–store gaps with Go Gemba: each quarter, every function works a store shift; IT discovers why a workflow fails at the point of sale, marketing sees campaign friction at Friday night peak, finance hears cost-to-serve realities. He personally worked in stores four to five days a month, especially during crunch periods like Christmas, leading by example and rebuilding trust through competence.

Marketing localisation is equally pragmatic. Deep discounting can signal poor quality to Japanese consumers; “customer appreciation weeks” preserve value perception while rewarding loyalty. Community building is pushed to the store level — managers engage local clubs and schools to turn footfall into fandom. Cross-training makes delivery experts confident product explainers at the door, restoring a human touch in a world where >90% of orders arrive online.

Ultimately, Steenks’ playbook blends cultural fluency with decision intelligence. He aligns stakeholders through nemawashi, codifies learning rituals, chooses language and campaigns that respect local signals, and keeps strategy tethered to the edge where pizzas are made, boxed, and delivered hot. The title “Chief Orchestrator” wasn’t just whimsy; in a business of many specialists, he conducts tempo, harmony, and timing — the difference between noise and music.

What makes leadership in Japan unique?

Japan’s high service standards and high-context communication demand leaders who are both exacting and empathetic. Success depends on pre-work: nemawashi with middle managers, thoughtful ringi-sho style consensus for high-impact choices, and visible demonstrations of respect for the frontline. Uniforms (like Domino’s iconic race jacket for store managers) and rituals create shared identity that motivates in a group-oriented culture.

Why do global executives struggle?

Low-context leaders often misread meeting “yeses” as commitment. Without groundwork, nothing moves. Impatience backfires in high uncertainty-avoidance environments; public criticism shuts people down. Leaders must separate reversible from irreversible decisions, secure alignment offline, and then move decisively. They should also avoid copy-pasting global marketing: in Japan, steep discounts can be read as “lower quality,” eroding trust.

Is Japan truly risk-averse?

Japan is less risk-loving than many markets, but teams will take smart risks when safety and learning are explicit. Small, fast experiments, celebrated micro-wins, and protection for experimenters reframe risk as controlled uncertainty with upside — a shift from avoidance to improvement.

What leadership style actually works?

Lead from the front and the shop floor. Work stores every month. Tie HQ metrics to store impact. Use rituals — Friday F-Up, the Grow & Prosper bell — to institutionalise learning and momentum. Celebrate teams more than individuals, and praise privately when norms warrant it. Think global, act local, but don’t “go native”: retain an outsider’s clarity about pace and standards.

How can technology help?

Digital tools amplify decision intelligence when paired with gemba reality. Store-level dashboards, route optimisation, and digital twins of peak-hour operations can test scenarios before rollouts; telemetry from ovens, makelines, and delivery routes can reveal bottlenecks that nemawashi then resolves across functions. Tech should reduce operational complexity, not add it.

Does language proficiency matter?

Fluency helps, but intent matters more. Demonstrating effort — basic greetings, store-floor Japanese, and culturally aware email etiquette — earns trust. Tools that translate bidirectionally unlock participation, but leaders still need to read context and invest time with the middle layer.

What’s the ultimate leadership lesson?

Do the cultural homework, orchestrate alignment before action, and keep your hands in the dough — literally. When people see you respect their craft, protect their learning, and tie strategy to execution, they’ll go all-in.

[00:00] Origin story: hired at 16 as a delivery expert in the Netherlands; stayed through school; early leadership as store manager, then multi-unit supervisor.

[05:20] Entrepreneurship chapter: buys a struggling store; builds to eight locations; sells in 2019 to become Head of Operations Netherlands, trading entrepreneurial freedom for strategic impact.

[12:45] Asia leadership: CEO Taiwan in 2021, then moves to Japan; common Domino’s DNA, different market textures; Japan’s service bar is the highest.

[18:10] Cultural recalibration: meeting “yeses” without action; learns nemawashi and middle-layer alignment; patience becomes a leadership muscle; adopts “Chief Orchestrator.”

[24:00] Store-first operating system: cross-training; online ordering dominance makes the delivery interaction pivotal; community outreach by store managers; hands-on leadership with regular store days and peak-period shifts.

[31:30] Learning rituals: Friday F-Up reframes failure; Grow & Prosper bell sustains momentum; public recognition calibrated to cultural comfort; Japan-only race jacket signals identity and pride.

[38:05] Marketing localisation: avoid pure discounting; position as “customer appreciation”; keep operations simple for peak; test premium limited items with scarcity and quality cues.

[43:20] Bridging HQ and field: quarterly Go Gemba embeds HQ in stores; anonymous surveys surface issues; visible follow-through flips scepticism to trust.

[49:40] Leadership philosophy: lead by example, protect experimenters, separate reversible vs irreversible decisions, and use decision intelligence (telemetry, digital twins) to derisk change while moving faster.

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.