【Announcement】New General Manager in the NCCJ
The Norwegian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (NCCJ) is proud to announce the appointment of Frederikke Valentina Sadowski Matsunaga as its new General Manager. Valentina officially started her role on March 1, 2023, succeeding Simen Aasen, who had been leading the Chamber since 2019. A hand-over process between the new and exiting manager will take place until the end of April, to ensure a smooth transition and to maintain the activity-level of the Chamber. With a strong background in international business, culture and communication, Valentina is excited to bring her knowledge, skills and passion to the NCCJ and continue its mission to foster stronger ties between Norway and Japan. In this article, we share a letter from Valentina, introducing herself and her vision for the future of the NCCJ.
Read Valentina’s message to all NCCJ members below:
I am delighted to introduce myself as the new General Manager of the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce (NCCJ). My name is Frederikke Valentina Sadowski Matsunaga, and I am excited to work with you all to ensure the NCCJ continues to be a place for members to engage, explore opportunities and grow together.
I come to NCCJ with a background in international business, culture and communication, holding a master’s degree from Copenhagen Business School. Furthermore, I did an exchange semester at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. One example of my recent experiences include completing qualitative research at a Nordic company in Japan where I examined how values and gender diversity from the headquarters were perceived and implemented at its various subsidiaries. This included looking into cultural factors, communication and intercultural challenges and how the HQ could implement its values with respect for its subsidiaries' local cultures. After this, I moved to Japan at the start of the pandemic where I helped with the opening of an English school, which included marketing to students and parents and hosting Open-School introductory days. Additionally, I have family in both Norway, Denmark and Japan, which has given me plenty of experiences with the differences and similarities between these cultures. My academic background, experience and drive for strengthening the Norway-Japan relations, created my motivation for taking on the position as the General Manager in the NCCJ.
As the new General Manager, I am committed to building on the strong foundation that has been laid by Simen Aasen and the Board, aiming for increased engagement, size and satisfaction for NCCJs members, as set by the new NCCJ Roadmap presented at the Annual General Meeting on February 2. Simen and I will work parallel together until the end of April, to make the transition as smooth as possible, so we can ensure the quality of the Chamber’s operations going forward.
It is important to me to be attentive of cultural backgrounds, various business sectors and the values of all the NCCJs members in our growth, as this is more important than ever for us to maintain a strong and vibrant community that can provide the resources, connections, and support that our members need to succeed.
I look forward to meeting each one of you in the coming weeks and months, and I welcome any thoughts or feedback from you, so the NCCJ continues to stay relevant for you. I am thrilled to bring my capabilities and motivation to the Chamber to ensure the NCCJ continues to be a place where all of us can come together to learn, grow, and achieve great things.
Sincerely,
Frederikke Valentina Sadowski Matsunaga