London Correspondence: The Reality of Diversity

I recently took advantage of the May Bank Holiday (a UK holiday occurring twice in May, on the first and last Monday) to drive around Belgium and the Netherlands. After disembarking from the Eurotunnel train with my car in Calais, France, I was driving on the highway towards Belgium. As we crossed the border, I pointed out to my second-grade son, "Look, we just entered Belgium from France." he asked a question that, while obvious, was still surprising: "Why is it so easy to enter a different country? Don't we need to show our passports?" I gave him a vague answer like, "Hmm, that's just how Europe is set up." While I'm no longer surprised by it myself, this sense of crossing borders feels a bit strange to someone born and raised on an island nation.

Working in a Global Network

Since the days of the former Aegis Group, Dentsu Inc . Aegis Network (DAN) has maintained its headquarters functions in London. Before its acquisition by Dentsu Inc., it was listed on the London Stock Exchange. DAN was formed largely inheriting these functions, so the core headquarters functions – general affairs, HR, and finance – remain in London, with both the CEO and CFO based there.

However, looking at the agency brands under DAN's umbrella, this isn't always the case. Vizeum, recognized for its innovative proposal capabilities and named RECMA's "Fastest Growing Agency" in 2014, has a President (CEO) in Thomas Le Thierry, a French national based in Paris, who leads its network spanning over 40 countries worldwide. Jean Lin, head of digital agency Isobar, is originally from Taiwan and now resides in Shanghai, similarly leading the global network from there.

Thus, while DAN is centered in London, agency leaders and members working on multi-market projects—often called global teams—are not necessarily concentrated in London. They operate from several hubs around the world, including Paris, Shanghai, New York, and Singapore. Given the sheer size of the advertising markets in the US and China, this sense of "spanning the globe" is something that a London-centric approach would struggle to achieve.

Needless to say, various technologies enable working without feeling the distance. Still, the world is vast, and being in London makes it hard to grasp what's happening in Asia or the US (and vice versa). At DAN, we hold an annual conference in March, gathering over 300 executives from around the globe. This four-day conference serves as a platform for top-level messaging and sharing leading practices from various countries. It also provides a space where members working globally can literally meet face-to-face, talk, and deepen connections. Meeting in person at least once a year and building familiarity undoubtedly makes subsequent work easier—a universal truth worldwide.

Benefits of Human Diversity

One thing that surprised me upon arriving in London was hearing various languages besides English on the subway. French, Spanish, Italian, Russian (all guesses, mind you) – it truly makes you realize how diversified this city is.

The DAN office, especially the global team, is also highly diverse. As is often discussed these days, the current situation where movement (transfers) within the EU is relatively easy both institutionally and geographically, combined with the fact that Europeans use English as a second language rather than a foreign language, obviously contributes deeply to this. Additionally, I believe DAN's previous approach to personnel mobility has made cross-regional movement easier.

My boss is Dutch and commutes (?) from the Netherlands to London three days a week. The colleague sitting right in front of me has a distinctly British-sounding name but holds both British and Italian passports. He speaks perfect English with an Italian accent in the office, yet orders pizza in Italian at the pizzeria. Beyond such ethnic and national diversity, diversity is deeply ingrained as the norm, with women (incidentally, DAN UK's CEO is a woman) and LGBT individuals actively contributing.

Let's consider the benefits diversity brings. When a global team collaborates with DAN offices in different countries, if the global team consists only of British members, there's inevitably a lack of understanding of local contexts. This can lead to unconsciously strained relationships. Therefore, having a diversified hub team manage the relationship between headquarters and the regional offices enables smooth communication. Furthermore, when clients provide services across multiple countries or regions, DAN's services similarly cannot be confined to a single nation. In such cases, a diverse team pursues simple, universal, and easily understandable solutions—even for something as basic as a report format—enabling the delivery of consistent service quality.

Conversely, are there any downsides to diversity? When working face-to-face in one office, we hardly feel any "clashes" due to diversity. However, in cross-border communication, there can be some stress between native English speakers and non-native speakers. I thought it was just Japanese people, but Germans, for example, feel uncomfortable being called by their first name without honorifics right away. These small cultural differences exist everywhere, so everyone pays attention. Even when I say, "Just call me by my first name," they'll still use "-san" in emails, like "Takashi-san." I feel that kind of small consideration is important (though maybe it's just common sense).

Looking back at Dentsu Inc. in Japan, achieving racial and national diversity at the DAN level is likely quite difficult due to the inherent language barrier. On the other hand, I hope we see significantly more women thriving—given the clear gender imbalance in society—and that LGBT individuals can work openly and confidently. That said, things have changed significantly since I joined, and we're definitely seeing more women in management roles. I believe bringing together people from more diverse backgrounds will spark even greater innovation in Japan.

Finally, one announcement: Recently, DAN UK and Ireland launched an internal network called "&PROUD" for LGBT employees. &PROUD will contribute to creating a more diverse society and workplace environment through various awareness activities both inside and outside the company.