TEAM PROFILES
Our Team
The people of RCS come from many cultures and a wide range of business experience communicating across cultures. And we’ve learned that one way to get to know the heart of another culture is to experience what the people of that culture traditionally eat for breakfast. So while it’s important that you know the experience, skills and talent we bring to the table, we’d also like to share with you what we put on the table in the morning.
Traditional American breakfast: Eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, pancakes
Ronald Sternberg
CEO
Languages: English, Japanese
Growing up: Cream of Wheat, Rice Krispies
Now: Fresh fruit and Bulgarian yogurt
Raised in Los Angeles, Ron has been a Tokyo resident for over 40 years. Before starting RCS, he worked for one of Japan’s largest magazine publishers, Magazine House on editorial, advertising tie-ins, international logistics and marketing. Additionally, his experience gave him an intimate understanding of Japanese values, style, fashion and attitudes towards products from other countries. He sits on the board of the Visit USA Committee and is an advisor to Atout France, the French government tourist office.
“When we were working a partnership with Visa China and a well-known US department store it became clear that while Chinese consumers know many of the brands in a department store, they are unfamiliar with the concept of department stores as brands themselves. Even the client didn’t quite understand the difference between a department store and a mall. They're both about presenting a curated shopping experience—the only difference was that each brand in a mall had doors. This had implications for the partnership—and showed us that we needed to establish the partner department store’s brand for the project to be successful for all involved.”
Traditional Swiss breakfast: Bread, cheese, cured meats, butter and jam
Dominic
Senior Manager, Partnership Development
Languages: German, English, Japanese, some French
Growing up: cereals, yoghurt, bread, jam, cheese
Now: cereals, yoghurt, fresh fruit, bread
Raised in Zurich and living in Japan for 10 years, Dominic puts his experience in destination management at Switzerland Tourism to work for RCS in partnership development and management. He has spearheaded program development in Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, and other markets.
“I arrive at meetings 10 minutes ahead of time - considered "on time" in Japan. But on my first business trip to Australia I was surprised to see associates showing up even a few minutes late. While an “NG” in Japan, Australians are more relaxed about it. I realized that even though Japanese culture appears very different on the surface from the Swiss culture I grew up in, they’re actually quite similar when it comes to values like punctuality.”
Traditional Northern Chinese breakfast: rice porridge, fried bread, steamed bread, egg
Jingning
Partnership Development Manager
Languages: Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean
Growing up: Milk, bread, traditional Chinese youtiao—a deep-fried breadstick
Now: Rice porridge, cereal, bread
Born in the northern Chinese port city of Dalian, Jingning, brings more than six years of experience working on cross-border marketing and promotions to RCS. Her multilingual capabilities and multi-cultural expertise provide her with exceptional insight across markets.
“I’m really interested in the different factors that drive people in across cultures to make a purchase decision. For example, I know that Chinese shoppers consider the ‘relative’ deal they can get, so that even if the price is high, the overall deal is the important consideration. In some other countries, the ‘absolute’ price of a deal is more important. Understanding cultural values like this enables me to help merchants develop the best offers for their target markets.”
Traditional English breakfast: Eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled mushrooms and tomato, beans
Michael
Senior Manager, Production
Languages: English, Japanese
Growing up: Cereal, toast, or the traditional English breakfast or bacon, sausages, eggs and toast
Now: Cereal, toast, or English breakfast (not that much has changed!)
Raised in London, Michael's Japanese language ability & passion to explore brought him to Japan at the age of 22. After working with merchants and managing teams across time zones, Michael's technical experience and creative skills allow him to produce highly accurate and effective communications.
”Working in Japanese schools, I saw how education in Japan prepares students to work together for the benefit of the group. Education in the UK does not have such a focus on mutual support and respect. It made me think more deeply about the purpose of education.”
Traditional Okinawan breakfast: Fried eggs, spam, rice & seasoning, miso soup, hash browns
Shino
Copywriting, Production and Promotions
Languages: Japanese, English
Growing up: Fried eggs, spam, rice & seasoning, miso soup, hash browns
Now: Rice, miso soup, Japanese omelet, cod roe
Born in Okinawa, Shino's interest in Japanese literature brought her to study in Japan's cultural center of Kyoto, and complete her Master's degree in Tokyo. Shino's copywriting expertise and web production experience allow her to create engaging content for our clients.
"One of my most memorable experiences is from a homestay at a relative's house in Hawaii. I found a small "bento" shop and was curious about Hawaii's concept of a bento. I was shocked to find seasoned rice, spam, Japanese omelet and hash browns - the same breakfast I had eaten as a kid in Okinawa. I felt a sense of nostalgia from 7,000 km away. It made me think about the similarities between Okinawa and Hawaii - how strongly seasoned foods can keep well in humid environments, and the mix of Japanese and American culture due to the large American base in Okinawa. That bento made me take another look at the culture in which I was born and raised."
Traditional French breakfast: Croissant, café latte
Hélène
Partnership Development Specialist
Languages: French, English, Japanese
Growing up: Hot chocolate and cereal
Now: Oatmeal with almond milk and fresh fruits
Born in the Normandy region of France and living in Tokyo for almost a decade, Hélène has diverse experience in marketing and sales of Japanese teas overseas and video game publishing. She has an unquenchable curiosity about the world, countless hobbies and brings her passion for learning to her work at RCS.
"When I was working in the tea industry, I often went to trade shows all over the world. I always took time to visit local stores to see the trends and products that were available and how they were displayed. I would also try various teas and drinks discover what people there enjoyed. Doing so gave me local knowledge that I could use when talking with buyers as well as ideas for new products to develop."