Good Risks: Discovering the Secrets to ORIXs 50 Years of Success

Praise for GOOD RISKS "Few companies have been as successful at globalizing as ORIX. They have expanded not only geographically, but also across a number of business lines, all the while leveraging their core skills and values to create a coherent group identity. Their 50-year history of localizing operations, particularly in Asia, is almost a playbook for companies everywhere with global ambitions." —Rike Wootten, President, KK Gotairiku Partners; former Governor, Osaka Securities Exchange "This book not only examines a unique international firm, but also highlights the accomplishments of one of the most outstanding men in Japanese business, ORIX Senior Chairman Yoshihiko Miyauchi. I was fortunate to get to know Mr. Miyauchi personally when I served as New Zealand's Ambassador to Japan from 2007 to 2012. Fifty years ago Mr. Miyauchi helped to start a company with just 12 other people, and is the key person responsible for building it into a global financial giant with 26,000 employees, over US$13 billion in annual revenue, and approximately $300 billion in assets under management. His story, and the story of ORIX, are worth the attention of anyone with an interest in global business." —Ian Kennedy, former New Zealand Ambassador to Japan "Russell's book is not only a quick and enjoyable read, but also a walk down memory lane. The challenges, opportunities, and even the failures that he chronicles as ORIX expands and prospers are intertwined with the history of global finance in the latter half of the 20 th century. He lays bare the roots of the ORIX network, which grows like a bamboo plant, extending its geographic and business coverage, then rapidly developing new opportunities when conditions are timely and prudent. Russell's first-person exploration of ORIX's advances into the US, Europe, and Asia is skillfully told. In particular, his relaxed, personal interviews with ORIX executives worldwide reveal the essence of the business by letting the key people tell their own stories. We see how each geographic step leads to another story of prudent risk-taking, entrepreneurial adventure, and trust in ORIX's new partners." —Paul Hoff, Business Development Director for EDHEC Risk Institute Asia, Japan " Good Risks is a fascinating insight into the impressive successes of one of Japan's most discreet financial services conglomerates. Too often the financial press writes about big, high-risk moves, yet here Russell celebrates a low-key company that has been quietly building a best-in-class empire (covering various businesses), and has been doing so for decades. Russell shares not just the story behind ORIX, but the culture and philosophy that sets it apart from any modern corporation I've ever studied." —Arrif Ziaudeen, CEO & Founder, The Chope Group

Acknowledgments ix About the Author xi Introduction 1 Chapter 1: New York, the Money Center 11 A Trusted Advisor 13 A Professional Money Manager 20 Chapter 2: Dallas, the Nerve Center 27 Orient Leasing and ORIX DNA 33 Millions Become Billions 40 A Bicultural Banker as CEO 48 Chapter 3: Dublin, the Flight Center 59 Corporate Culture 65 What Makes Us Special 71 Chapter 4: Sydney, Plus Thoughts on India 81 India: Challenges and Rewards 86 Chapter 5: Singapore, the Gateway to Asia 91 Asian Markets Today and Tomorrow 98 Chapter 6: Tokyo, the Global HQ 101 Coming Home to Japan 102 Inside Story 107 Chapter 7: Getting the Background 113 American Seeds, Japanese Soil 119 Why Can’t We Do This Overseas? 123 Chapter 8: ORIX Hits a Home Run 127 Quality in Services = Equality at Home 129 Chapter 9: China, a Learning Experience 135 The Chinese Ex ]Bureaucrat 136 The Japanese Ex ]Manager 140 The Real China Story 143 Chapter 10: The President on Strategy 147 Finding a Comfort Zone 149 China: No One to Blame but Ourselves 151 Korea: Diff erent Challenges 154 The Business of Energy 155 From Localization to Global Expansion 159 Chapter 11: Meeting the DNA 165 A Journey Above the Clouds 169 Hits and Misses 174 Today and Tomorrow 179 Chapter 12: Baseball Friends 185 Epilogue 193 Two Quibbles about This Book 194 What Is the ORIX Way? 196 Index 199

DAVID W. RUSSELL, President of Russell Communications International, is an author and corporate communications specialist who has lived in Japan on and off for 30 years. He has given seminars and consulted with senior executives at many of Japan's leading corporations. David has authored more than 10 books and dozens of magazine and newspaper articles, including pieces for Forbes, The Economist , and Harvard Business Review . He has received numerous awards, including Best Business & Management Book of the Year in the United States.