From France to Japan to the U.S.: Lessons From My Global Leadership Journey

When I trace my career path, after a childhood in France, youth in Japan, and early adulthood in Europe and the United States, I then returned to France and left for another assignment in Japan, which took me to Canada before I returned once again to Japan and recently back to France. I see a mosaic of choices, challenges, and transformations that shaped who I am today. It is not a straight line. It is a winding, border-crossing path full of detours, discoveries, and defining moments.

After studying in Boston, I began my career in Japan before returning to France with a voracious appetite for the world. When I was a child, I developed a fascination with world cultures and languages, and it was clear to me at an early age that my life would not be confined to just one country. My initial forays into the professional world were quite traditional entry marketing positions, international trade, and logistics. However, I was always motivated by the desire to work on something larger than myself and extend my horizons beyond those of my own countries (France & Germany). That wasn’t in the cards before a tour of duty as an entrepreneur and seven additional years in France.

Leaving France: The First Leap

Returning to Japan in 2001 took a leap of faith. To me, Japan was not just another place,  it was a country where I had been raised, where I had worked as a salaried employee for about two years after graduating from Northeastern University. I had to reacquaint myself with the Japanese language and understand a business culture rooted in rules and subtleties that seemed invisible at first, as well as an unspoken expectation that I would adjust quickly.

And I adjusted but not without an occasional moment of self-doubt and frustration. There were days I felt out of place, too blunt, overly foreign and too "Western." However, I gradually learned by listening differently and reading the air (a concept that the Japanese refer to as 'kuuki wo yomu'), and also learned how trust is built through ritual in Japan.

During those times, I established "Wine, Life & Style K.K.," a glossy magazine on the subjects derived from its title. After four years, I aspired to more business knowledge and started an MBA. Once armed with my MBA, I co-founded and led Guki Cellars Japan, a wine importer and e-commerce company. Entrepreneurship in Japan was both exhilarating and humbling. I found that being a female foreign business owner meant I had to put in twice the effort to be taken seriously, but ironically, I also had a hidden advantage. I introduced fresh ideas, a spirit of cooperation, and a worldview that appealed to both overseas suppliers and receptive Japanese partners and clients.

Operating a business has taught me the importance of resilience. It taught me how to recover from failure with dignity, how to negotiate in high-context cultures, and also how to lead diverse teams that operated far beyond words.

After eight years in Japan, the next chapter led me to relocate back to France while pursing to complete an MBA in 2009 in Canada. By now, I had a life and reputation in Japan; to leave it was like leaving part of myself behind. Yet change is seldom comfortable, and this was a chance for me to reinvent myself all over again.

I had become particularly interested in executive education and earned my MBA in 2009. In 2011 I returned to Japan. While leading Guki Cellars Japan K.K., I enhanced my coaching certifications in 2016. I constructed networks that spanned continents and connected me to women leaders, entrepreneurs, and mentors who encouraged me to step into my leadership voice fully. I realized then that what I really loved to do was not just create business but help people through transitions, gain clarity, and find their place in a global world.

Back in France: Weaving the Trip Together

Returning to France at the end of July 2025 for the first time after years abroad has been, in many ways, the most challenging transition of all. When you have lived abroad for a long time, you are a global citizen, but also a stranger in your home country. Friends have disappeared, cultural norms have changed, and you carry memories that are difficult to articulate to people who never left.

But this return allowed me to incorporate everything I had learned. France, Japan, or North America were no longer different worlds to me; they were part of the same bigger picture. It was then that my purpose became crystal clear: to support other women, like you, in their journey through these life and career transitions with confidence and direction.

Lessons I Carry Forward

As I reflect, five things still serve as guideposts for me:

Adaptation is a superpower – You can learn to adapt, even if it feels uncomfortable, when you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone.

Relationships are currency – trust is not something that can be gained overnight, especially across cultures. But when it is, no credential or title will ever do what it can.

Visibility is important – your work should speak for itself, but in international environments, you also need to be able to present yourself effectively. Presence is part of leadership.

Resilience is acquired, not inherent – every failure, whether in a business transaction or a personal letdown, has made me a more innovative thinker and empathetic individual.

Reinvention is achievable at any age — whether you're 25 or 55, it’s up to you to reimagine what success looks like and craft a life that reflects your values.

Why I’m Sharing This With You

My wish is that in sharing my journey, you don't feel so alone with yours. Whether you are gearing up for your first international assignment, leading a team across multiple countries, or considering a complete career reinvention, know that your experiences are valid and that growth comes through the very challenges that seem most daunting.

Through Global Compass, I integrate these lessons into my coaching practice, supporting ambitious women like you in gaining clarity, confidence, and direction during times of change.

Your tale is yet to be written, and it's yours to pen.