Creating Business by Building Bridges
From Europe to Japan and Back
What We Do
Global Bridges supports its clients with their Business Development
Our focus is on Business Development in Europe for Japanese companies and in Japan for European clients. Our clients include large and mid-size corporations, SME’s, start-ups, banks, funds and other financial institutions and advisory companies. We work for Japanese and European companies and sometimes for governmental organizations.
When advising our clients with their business development, we have access to a wide range of instruments, including M&A, joint ventures, technology transfers, supply agreements, fundraising, fund participation and greenfield operations. Each of these tools requires a different approach. Each tool has its pros and cons.
We have worked extensively with all of these tools and we cooperate with a wide range of specialists, such as legal experts, tax advisors, management consultants and finance specialists, thus unburdening our clients.
Global Bridges can support its Dutch/European clients with their entry into the Japanese market by establishing a corporate entity in Japan, often a K.K., or “Kabushiki Kaisha”.
We can help by recruiting local management and by raising funds.
The reverse applies as well. We can establish a Dutch B.V. for our Japanese clients and take care of all the steps along the way, including domiciliation and pay-roll services.
Is Global Bridges a “one-stop-shop”? No. But what we are good at is coordinating the activities necessary to implement the chosen strategy. Result: time saving and cost-efficiency.
There is a particular Dutch word: “Ontzorgen” which means as much as “unburdening” — or rather “taking care of everything”.
That is what we do.
What We’ve Done
No assignment is the same and hence, no solution is similar
Over the years Global Bridges has advised clients in the most diverse sectors. We love to sit down with you, hear your needs and wishes and discuss the best possible approach. Over a period of almost 25 years, we have supported our clients in many ways.
Please have a look at some of those who have placed their trust in us.
Who We Are
The core team consists of Radboud Molijn, Tjeerd de Vries, Waka Otsu and Diederik Eggenkamp. Each of us has their own skill set — their own strengths. Around this team we have gathered several associates who are experts in their own field.
You might find our CV’s rather unusual. Great! Because we know that the best solution for your company might just be out-of-the-ordinary as well.
Radboud Molijn
Managing PartnerLived in Japan (1978-1980), member supervisory board Yamaha Motor Europe (2016-present), member supervisory board Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift Europe (2012-2020), Managing Director DUJAT / Dutch & Japanese Trade Federation (2003–2016), frequent Japan visitor, advisor to numerous Japanese and Dutch companies. Worked in Japan as actor with Hayuza actors, played in NHK’s morning drama Ma Nee-chan. Received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette on June 21, 2016.
Tjeerd De Vries
PartnerTjeerd has a background in Civil Law and acquired LLM (Master of Law) status from the the University of Amsterdam. After having worked at various banks as a trade finance specialist, corporate banker and director, Tjeerd continued his career as a green entrepreneur. He set up and supported various companies producing green and responsible products. Currently, Tjeerd is active in M&A and investments advice. He also helps start-up companies gaining momentum.
Waka Otsu
Project ManagerWaka, born and raised in Tokyo, she studied in the U.S. and Japan for high school, graduated from department of Philosophy in Sophia University in Tokyo (BA). She was an intern sales-marketer at HULT international business school Tokyo branch, promoting Social Entrepreneurship in Japan. She relocated to the Netherlands and graduated with honor from HKU (Utrecht, NL). Her professional expertise is in Education and Linguistics, working as an interpreter both in Japan and in the Netherlands. For Global Bridges, she assists developing solutions for planning and execution of new business projects especially utilizing her linguistic and communication skills to bridge every gap there is to be overcome in our projects.
Diederik Eggenkamp
Project ManagerAfter obtaining a master’s degree from the Amsterdam Conservatory, Diederik changed gears and taught himself Japanese to professional fluency in 2 years, without setting foot in the country. A fan of autonomous learning, he went on to do freelance translation and interpreting work, as well as developing various IT-related skills, such as scripting, server maintenance and webdesign. Finally, he teaches Japanese, Dutch and English to highschoolers and business persons alike, in an exciting and innovative way. Diederik supports Global Bridges with all of these skills in various ways. He has the ability to act on the fly and easily connect with people from different cultures and walks of life.
Bridging Ideas
Trying to bridge cultures is what we do, so why not extend this beyond business?
Before you rush down over to our contact section, we invite you to take some (perhaps much needed) distance from your daily business and take a moment to reflect a little.
Every now and again, we publish articles, reflections, links to other websites and even poems, like this Tanka, by Fumi Saito.
man and horse not crossing the view the bridge is purely and simply making a connection