Catherine O’Connell has achieved a number of notable firsts in Japan.

She was the first foreign woman to establish a law practice in Tokyo. She is also the first foreign woman to sit on the audit and supervisory boards at Toyota Motor and Fujitsu.

When it comes to succeeding in the male dominated world of Japanese business – fewer than 1% of the country’s corporate leaders are women – O’Connell emphasizes her pragmatic, down-to-earth approach.