In this FocusCore podcast episode, host David Sweet interviews Meret Brunner, Hotel Manager of The Peninsula Tokyo, a Swiss-trained hotelier who has led luxury hotel operations in New York, Bangkok, London, and Tokyo, including serving as Director of Rooms at The Dorchester and playing a key role in the pre-opening of The Peninsula London. Meret explains how The Peninsula replaced hundreds of service standards with a small set of core principles, why “omotenashi” comes down to reading the air, and why she sees herself first and foremost as a culture carrier. She shares how the hotel built its own in-house recruitment team, treats every interview as a Peninsula experience, and keeps people through a clear three-month onboarding plan, regular round tables, and genuinely listening to new colleagues. They also discuss visa changes and international talent, women in leadership and career conversations, avoiding burnout in a 24/7 business, and her key advice for international executives arriving in Japan: success is not achieved individually.

The 2026 FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2026 Salary Guide

In this episode you will hear:

• Why The Peninsula replaced hundreds of service standards with a few core principles
• Omotenashi as "reading the air" before guests have to ask
• How to attract top talent in Japan by making hiring a brand experience
• Onboarding, listening, and work-life balance that drive retention
• Opening The Peninsula London versus running an established icon in Tokyo
• Why success in Japan is never achieved individually

About Meret:

Meret Brunner is a Swiss hospitality executive with a distinguished career across The Peninsula Hotels, currently leading operations at The Peninsula Tokyo as Hotel Manager.

Having progressed through key roles in New York, Bangkok, London and Tokyo, Meret brings a rare combination of international perspective and deep operational expertise. Known for an energetic and visionary leadership style, she excels in building high-performing teams, driving commercial performance, and translating strategic ideas into tangible results.

Her time in Tokyo has been a defining chapter, immersing herself in one of the world's most sophisticated and demanding luxury hospitality environments. Through a deep understanding of Japanese service philosophy, particularly omotenashi, she has successfully balanced global brand standards with local cultural expectations, strengthening consistency, quality, and guest experiences at scale.

Recognized for her ability to challenge convention and inspire change, she has focused on elevating service culture, driving operational excellence, and aligning teams around a shared vision of excellence. Her leadership is characterized by a strong emphasis on people development, adaptability, and the ability to navigate complexity with both clarity and creativity.

Today, her role in Tokyo reflects a continued commitment to refining luxury hospitality through innovation, cultural alignment, and a relentless focus on delivering exceptional, personalized guest experiences.

Connect with Meret:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meret-brunner-4a70584/

The Peninsula Tokyo: https://www.peninsula.com/en/tokyo/5-star-luxury-hotel-ginza?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ptk_prop_row_t3_int_eng_sem_goog_con_brand_em_txt_hotel-alwayson_alwayson_hotel-brand-en_na&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23437912926&gbraid=0AAAABCDBF6cS4tZwEF8Jl847DpkbKwQSk&gclid=CjwKCAjwotzWBhBFEiwA1JhPoGFluMRURd8G3xFAiAfzwQ9Gg1roqpk2-aO3r45BLfapNW5HjDlUahoCX_UQAvD_BwE

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

This podcast was proudly produced by Lisa Yasuda.

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

In this FocusCore podcast episode, host David Sweet interviews Glenn Argyle, President and Representative Director of Baxter Japan, a New Zealand-born, fluent Japanese speaker who has spent nearly 30 years in Japan and held senior roles at Takeda, Syneos Health, Bayer, and Baxter. Glenn explains why the idea that Japan is slow to change is a myth, describing how setting a clear burning platform and engaging teams early makes implementation lightning fast. He shares how he led Baxter Japan through a major spinoff and integration, how listening first, giving trust first, and replacing blame with joint problem-solving helped bring voluntary turnover down from 21% to 3.3%, and why leaders must let teams make mistakes within clear guardrails. They also discuss AI in healthcare and pharma, why country managers should personally interview, network, and even poach top talent, and the three competencies he believes future executives need: vision, clarity, and resilience.

The 2026 FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2026 Salary Guide

In this episode you will hear:

• Why "Japan is slow" is a myth, and how early engagement speeds up change
• Leading a spinoff and integration without a culture of blame
• How listening and trust first helped cut turnover from 21% to 3.3%
• Why leaders should personally interview, network, and poach top talent
• How AI is reshaping healthcare and the talent it needs
• Vision, clarity, and resilience: the three leadership competencies for the VUCA era

About Glen:

Glenn Argyle is the President and Representative Director of Baxter Japan. Originally from New Zealand, he moved to Japan nearly 30 years ago after graduating from the University of Otago, and later earned his MBA from Temple University in Japan. Fluent in Japanese and deeply bicultural, he has held senior executive roles at Takeda, Syneos Health, Bayer, and now Baxter, leading multi-hundred-million-dollar operations and guiding organizations through major transformations in Japan's healthcare market.

Connect with Glen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glen-argyle/

Baxter Japan: https://www.baxter.co.jp/ja

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

This podcast was proudly produced by Lisa Yasuda.

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

In this FocusCore Podcast episode, host David Sweet interviews Naomi Mano, Founder of Luxurique and Chairperson of the Japan MICE Association, a US-born Japanese national with over 30 years of experience in marketing, branding, and hospitality. Naomi explains why she left corporate roles at IBM and Fidelity to build her own company, and what it took to launch a luxury business in Japan as a woman entrepreneur in 2007. She shares her view that entrepreneurs need grit, mental strength, and physical stamina, and describes how she leads a team of nearly 50 by managing her own reactions and adapting how she communicates with each person. They discuss building trust with traditional artisans and turning personal relationships into corporate ones, serving ultra high net worth clients, and pivoting during COVID by building a keyword-based travel platform with government grants. Naomi closes with her advice on defining success by your own values and never giving up on your vision.

The 2026 FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2026 Salary Guide

In this episode you will hear:

• Why Naomi left corporate life to build her own company in Japan
• What entrepreneurs really need: grit, mental strength, and physical stamina
• How to lead a growing team by managing your own reactions
• How to turn personal trust into lasting corporate relationships in Japan
• How Luxurique pivoted during COVID with government grants
• Why success should be defined on your own terms

About Naomi:

Naomi is a US-born Japanese national with over 30 years of experience in marketing, branding, and hospitality. She began her career at IBM and contributed to the Nagano Olympic Marketing Committee, before taking on regional marketing roles across Asia Pacific. Her background gives her strong insight into Japanese culture and how to make it accessible to international visitors.

In 2007, she launched and led the Japan operations for Quintessentially, a global luxury lifestyle service provider. She later founded Luxurique in 2014 to create high-end cultural experiences, events and to support the growth of luxury inbound tourism in Japan, while also advising organizations and governments on strategies targeting high-net-worth travelers.

Naomi is the author of Omotenashi no Genso (Illusion of Hospitality), chairperson of the Japan MICE Association, and a doctoral candidate at Keio University researching sustainable tourism. She is widely recognized as an industry thought leader, regularly speaking at major travel events and featured in leading international publications.

Connect with Naomi Mano:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mano-6444a65/?isSelfProfile=false

Luxurique: https://www.luxurique.com/

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

This podcast was proudly produced by Lisa Yasuda.

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.